Bound by Sin
by Aragem
Summary: TFA: A blind scientist meddles with forces best left untouch and discovers that there is a very thin line between a spark and a soul.
1. Chapter 1

**The Visitor**

Prowl was never one to intrude where he wasn't sure he would be welcome, yet his spark was drawn to this small piece of beauty as a insect toward a sweet ambrosia scent of the maw of a Venus fly trap.

He had traveled outside the city limits of Detroit on what Sari claimed was his weekly sabbaticals. When Bumblebee prodded her for what a sabbatical was, she explained that it was something that people went on to get away. From what? She couldn't give a clear answer.

It wasn't that Prowl wanted to get away. It was that he wanted to get into something. Nature.

It was hard to explain and not easy to put into words. Nature was. . . .just was. There was purpose or no reason. It just was. As a every machine had a purpose and a reason for each of their functions, Nature was a coy mistress who was free with her whims. Generous and selfish, beautiful and ugly, and kind and cruelty.

He couldn't explain the peace that came to him when he perched in a tree meditated. The whispering branches kept him company and the cool breeze brought him calm, the scent of the tree eased his processor.

He enjoy exploring finding new landscapes and places of meditation. A new spot he discovered was a waterfall that he had to abandoned once winter set in and the water that once cooled his anatomy on hot days threatened to freeze his fuel lines and crack his fluid chambers. Where he was once welcomed, he was chased away by a change of season.

But it was spring now, the snow had melted and hopefully that waterfall would welcome him. Then, his olfactory receptor detected floral scent to his west. Exotic flora scents at that.

One of his basic and primal functions was a hunter and as a hunter he had a sense of curiosity of anything new in what would be perceived as his territory. Had something come into bloom whilst he was away repairing the damage wrought by Megatron's resurrection and the battle that followed?

It had been grueling work, the repairs and trying to rebuild the bridges that had been burned once the humans grasped how destructive a battle between Cybertronians could be. Whereas humans would have snapped pictures of him and peppered him with questions and requests for autographs, they now avoided him, which he preferred. However, recently, humans have begun a petition to have him banned from the park due to safety precautions.

Thus, he made his sabbaticals into the forests.

His sleek motorcycle form weaved through the trees at a medium pace and his olfactory led him toward the source of the scent. Then there was a breaking in the trees and he saw the top edge of a roof, a large house, a mansion Sari would call it.

Surrounding it was a tall black metal fence and beyond it lay the source of the floral scent. A garden, and not just a garden that one would plant as a hobby at the side of a house, a fully realized garden that could rival the park in the city.

It was without effort that Prowl hopped over th fence and threaded through what he perceived as Paradise. There was a small stream that trickled through providing water to frothy grass that felt cushion even to his metallic feet.

Huge trees with sweeping branches heavily laden with blossoms of all colors. A strange tree if he ever saw one. It held roses, lotus blossoms, even lilacs and orchids. He had believed that that a crossbreed of this wasn't possible, but there was another tree to the lee of this one and yet another toward the corner.

His beige fingers tenderly touched a blossom and it was real with velvety petals and a heavy scent drew away any anxieties he might have held.

"Little Madame, we have a visitor."

Prowl turned, a shruiken in hand, his limber formed posed to leap.

Two humans were at the edge of a small fish pond he hadn't noticed before. One was kneeling at the edge wearing a flowery robe holding a bowl of crumbs and dropping them to the fish with the to other hand.

The other human. . . .no, not a human, a robot. She stood tall, her metal shell a mother of pearl color with turquoise optics glowing from egg shaped sockets. She wore a long maiden dress which was a true white. She wore no special adornments, nothing that made her stand out or personalized as most humans would decorate their robots.

"Forgive, I didn't realized that I was intruding." Prowl apologized slipping away his shuriken.

"It's alright. No harm is done and I am rather happy to have one of the. . . Autobots. . . you were called . . . .to visit me." The woman stood handing the now empty bowl to the robot servant. "Diamond told me that she detected your presence coming this way and I ordered security not to shoot."

"You have. . . my thanks." Prowl spoke unsure. "I am Prowl and yes, I am one of the Autobots."

"I am Debra Marlin." She turned to him and he noticed that she could be Sumdac's age. Prowl took a week to study human aging when he realized how short lived humans could be. That their lives were like the flowers, they started out small infants, seeds, grew into sprouts, bloomed, and then wilted. This woman was past her bloom and at the beginning stages of wilting.

"Marlin? As in Marlin Cares?" Prowl recognized that name from many commercials and ads from television and the internet.

Marlin Cares was a company that established itself as producer of care giving robots. And these weren't the shapeless and odd robots produced by Sumdac's company but more humanly shaped robots that provided care of comfort to humans in hospitals and nursing homes. There were even home models that provided care for humans at their homes or daily lives if they had a disability.

Marlin Cares wasn't as large as Sumdac Enterprises, however it had carved itself a pretty tight spot in the business world as people preferred human like robotic care to the clumsy and comical versions of Sumdac's.

Diamond, Mrs. Marlin's robot companion appeared to be such a model.

"You recognize my name? I'm honored, I supposed. How fortunate for me." There was no sarcasm in her voice, not was there any serious tone, it was just a neutral statement. "Please stay, you enjoy my garden, and I pleased to have you nearby."

"I'm honored that you would allow me the privilege." Prowl responded, but he felt uncomfortable. Mrs. Marlin's words were welcoming, but he didn't feel welcomed.

"The tree that Diamond told me you were admiring was a gift from an. . . .old friend. He crossbreeded those trees for me to have. Unfortunately, his work took him to other areas of interest." Mrs. Marlin reached to Diamon and took a short rod from her. She pressed a button and the rod extended to the grass which the woman swept from side to side as she approached Prowl.

"Are you. . .blind, madame?" Prowl asked watching that thin rod guide her path.

"Yes. And no, there are no surgery that can give me sight. I was born with a deformity of my optic nerves and surgery would be too risky, thus sight was never meant for me to have." Marlin stated from repetition as if answering a question that had been asked many many times before.

Prowl glanced at Diamond who was staring at him intensely. "Perhaps, I should. . . "

"You like to meditate. I've been told you come out this area to meditate since the people ran you from the park."

Prowl bristled, the petition to ban him was still a sore spot. "I was not. . .run out. . . . but yes, there was word of a petition so I saw it prudent to leave before the humans became too uncomfortable with my presence."

"I am surprised. A being of your power allowing us mortals to keep you from something you enjoy. Do you think that if we humans had that power, would we be so considerate?"

"I. . . do not know."

She was at his ankle down and she reached out a small hand and her finger tips grazed the wheel there. "No, I shall think if I was in your position, I would end their discomfort."

"I. . . do not understand what you mean by that?" Prowl didn't know why, but he really didn't want her to touch him.

She patted his ankle. "No, no, don't worry about it. It was just an opinion of what I would do."

"I should go. I only came to investigate." He shifted his leg out of her reach.

"Of course, of course, I can't expect you to stay and become a lawn ornament. But here, take something back with you." Marlin reached toward a rose bush, her seek hand finger the petals and drawing toward the stem. She pulled and flinched. "Damnit. I forgot about the thorns. Here."

She held up the rose.

Prowl didn't want to accept a dying flower, but courtesy and etiquette require him to do so. He leaned forward and carefully took it from her. He noticed that along the green thorns were crested with red, and that red dripped onto his servos.

He grimaced. She had stained him.

He exchanged goodbyes with her and left, hopping over the fence and mourned that he wouldn't feel comfortable returning to the beautiful garden due to its. . . .hostess. Yet, he felt pity for her. She was blind and could never enjoy the visual beauty of her own garden.

The garden was never meant for her.

Marlin placed both hands atop of her cane. She listened and waisted until his engine was out of her hearing range, which was a large range for her strong ears. The garden had cost so much to arrange, especially chemical boosters to increase the scent of the flowers and not to mention renting this manor for this occasion.

"Did you get the scans and schematics, Diamond?"

"Yes, Little Madame."

"Good. Encrypt them and sent them to the lab. We have work to do." Marlin took a moment, wetting her lips. "Your calculation of his behavior was correct. He is a nature lover and setting this place up drew him as you predicted."

"My calculations were provided 85 percent chance of his visiting, however, there is a 45 percent chance of his returning."

"Sad. I would have liked to crack him open and feel around inside. Touch this. .. spark of theirs. Anyway, not is a good time to make an announcement that Marlin Cares is expanding into military and combat service. We can begin advertising the project at once."

"But Little Madame, but shall we name the project? My calculations is that only 35 percent will be drawn to the title Project A345456."

Marlin took a moment and thought. A finger to her lips, she remembered how the sound of Prowl's body moved so silently through the air and how very little sound he made when he landed.

Marlin's lips turn up in a small smile. "The Project will be titled Project NightBird."

"Very well, Little Madame."


	2. Cell

The prison chamber was specially constructed to resist acid and it was placed center of the cell hall with spotlights overhead. Even a sign, "Approach with extreme caution," was tacked at the corner of orange box.

He stretched out across the single bed, his body forever churning and thick rolls of liquid acid moving like a coil of snakes. The curdling of it reached his ears, but he had become so accustomed to it, he simply shifted and drifted off to sleep.

"Prometheus Black, you have a visitor."

His body coiled as he moved from his bed and fluidly turned his head toward the long hall where twin doors slide apart. If his heart had been solid, it would have skipped a beat.

Two tall figures walked toward him. One elegant tall robot and a thin woman waving a cane before her feet wearing thick shades.

"Debra Marlin." He was surprised to hear himself speak.

She heard him from all the way down the long hall, her hearing was like no other. Her lips parted, baring her teeth in a mischievous grin that could easily be considered sinister.

It was the same grin she had for him when he first met her.

* * *

**20 Years Ago**

He had attended Metro Center of Sciences college shortly after interning for a genetics lab for three years. He was encouraged by his peers to attend several classes taught by Dr. Lambert Griggs, a leading expert of biotechnology.

Prometheus Black needed more hours to fulfill the requirements of his scholarship, thus he took on another class that studied machines in society.

He had been thin young man, his hair had been long enough to tie back in a blonde ponytail and his tinted classes perched on his nose. The room was class, but big enough for 20 students just there to make an easy A.

Prometheus didn't expect to get anything out of the class, he just needed the hours and this class was the only one that had an opening at the last minute. He took a seat near the door, eager to the first one out and swept his eyes over his classmates.

Some of them were overweight, some even had pocket protectors. He never understood why most young aspiring scientists never had much style. Then a noticed a pair of shades darker than his.

The girl was sitting in the far corner away from the others. She leaned back in her chair, her hands coiled together behind her both, with her index fingers pointing up together against her lips as if in deep thought. Her brow was furrowed as if she just had lost an argument.

The lesson began with a brief history of invention and robots. Isaac Sumdac's name was mention often during this lecture.

Prometheus tuned it out, instead going over formulas and chemical components in his head, occasionally taking a note that phrases that managed to come through his fog of boredom.

Then the lecture took an interesting turn.

"Now for the benefits of robotic industry over human labor . . . "

Prometheus sat up, his attention fully on the lecture at hand. "Professor, I believe I have to disagree there about the benefits."

The professor stopped speaking and all eyes and attention turn to him. Where others would have been embarrassed or shy, Prometheus lapped it up. He was an attractive and charismatic young man and was use to the attention.

"I hardly doubt calling unemployment a disadvantage." Black spoke, his accented voice drawing people in. "Along with going on welfare or food stamps."

"Yes, that is. . . a disadvantage of robotic industry. But the profit from it is astounding. Robots don't need lunches or breaks, insurance benefits, or time off for vacation, health, or family. They only do what they are program to do and nothing else."

"In sacrifice of human well being? Just for profit? And who will purchase the goods if people don't have jobs and get paid to make such purchases? It's would be shooting yourself in the foot to go full robot labor."

He settled back in his chair satisfied that his point had been made.

"What about what happened in Geraldson?" A female voice spoke up. "You know, when an irritated worker showed up with a pistol and shot and killed 15 people in his office building and committed suicide in the break room."

Heads turned to the woman in the corner. She sat up, a hand on a cane that had been leaning against her chair. "Robots don't have mental breakdowns and shoot up offices."

Prometheus rosed to the challenge. "And what about what happened in New York? A prototype law enforcement machine killed three men."

She waved a manicured hand in dismissal. "Human error which was easily corrected in the software. But if you add together all the human deaths by human hands, all the murders, wars, and terrorists acts, then they would far out weigh all the deaths committed by robots."

"Yet, they are capable of killing humans more efficiently than humans themselves!" He countered.

"Yes, they can be used as weapons if in the wrong hands, but even then, they would be something more efficiently than humans. No worries of mutiny or insurrections or any nagging morals to contend with. Programming says kill, they kill."

"Oh, so you don't care about your fellow humans?"

She turned her head and smiled at him, a mischievous smile bordering on sinister. "Only about the ones that matter."

To think, he took her out to dinner that night.

* * *

"Debra Marlin. What do I owe the pleasure of this visit. The trees I gave you are well, I suppose?"

Marlin touched a hand to the orange cell, her finger tips telling her what anyone's eyes would. "I was told that you changed. No longer handsome."

"Handsome and beauty never meant anything to you. You never seen either." He reminded her of the words she told him years before. "May I ask what you are doing here?"

"Oh, I was in the area, and I thought I'd drop in on an old friend."

"You want something."

"I do."

"What do you want?"

"What do you have?"

"Marlin, if you are going to play these games with me, then I will have to ask you to leave. And take your automaton with you." He turned his back to her, already tired of her.

"Aww, be nice to Diamond." Marlin scolded in a sweet tone as one would speak to a dog. "I just want information, my dear Prometheus, I believe you became this way due to study of the Autobots anatomy."

"Now I see where this is going. And you want what I data I have?"

"Did I just say that?"

"Not in so many words, but alas, all my data is in my lab owned by Powell. Good luck getting it."

Marlin raised a finger and wagged it at him. "Prometheus Black, I am shocked at you. You really think I believe that you don't have a database somewhere independent of Powell that you keep copies of your research at? Shame, shame, thinking so little of the blind woman."

"Alright, then why should I help you, Marling? What's in it for me?"

"The knowledge that you made me happy."

"Don't patronize me, Marlin. Again, I ask, what's in it for me?"

"Well, I did take into consideration you new body. Acid, right? You melt through anything and everything. If I was to touch you face, to see you with my hand as I did before. . . .you'd melt right off and cripple me."

"You're already crippled."

"And this crippled woman is offering you euthanasia." She tapped the class with her knuckles.

It took him nearly a full minute to comprehend what she said. When he managed to speak, it was, "Are you threatening me?"

"Oh, no, just making you an offer. I'm sure that my scientists can figure out a way to dissolve you into harmless liquid and allow your sentience to go with it and you won't be aware of yourself." She shook head, that infuriating grin toying at her lips. "You can't be happy like this."

"Having the power to destroy my enemies makes me happy enough." He clutched his fists encased in metal.

"Bullshit." She rapped her knuckles on the glass. "Sure, you can kill anyone you hate with a single touch, but what about the other things in life? Eating a full dinner, taking a warm bath at the end of the take, taking a hike in the cool mountains, and lets not forget fucking. You can't fuck a woman without turning her into a bloody pool of gore."

"Thank you for reminding me. Why offer me a cure and you can have me for yourself."

"For starters, if there was cure, you'd have cured yourself by now and secondly, I don't want you anymore, not that way. I much prefer your mind and what it can tell me about the Autobots."

"Bitch." He barked.

"I know." She tilted her head in a flirtatious motion.

She had always been like this. Elusive, playful, yet mean and cruel at the same time. She was fascinating to him because he could never guess at what she wanted. And she was careful not to give away any secrets or clues of her desires.

Yet, he hated her all the same. He hated Sumdac, but one thing he had to give that bastard credit for was that he actually cared about humanity. Marlin didn't.

"I'm not telling you anything."

"Shameful, but doesn't matter." She placed both hands on her cane. "Cyrus Rhodes told us where it was to begin with. A Jurassic Park Island, I believe your private lab was built."

He was momentarily stunned. "He's my man. . . "

"I paid him a small fortune."

"Then why the hell are you here?"

"To visit an old friend."

He laid a hand over his face in frustration. "Get the hell out of here, Marlin and don't come back. I swear to God, you are vile woman and I sincerely hope you meet a nasty end."

"Not as nasty yours, Meltdown." With that, the blind bitch turned and walked away, her cane tapping away at the floor and her silent caretaker following close behind.


	3. Competition

Diamond ran her calculations and came up with these results in regards to distracting the Dinobots whilst downloading the data from Meltdown's lab.

If they used violence to draw the Dinobots attention away, then there was a 70 percent chance that they would quickly dispatch of any diversion that they could come up with; such as small self detonating drones or hacked police machine to attack them

However, Diamond was able to come up with a simple solution. Instead of violence, offer the massive creatures, entertainment.

"Me Grimlock say you Music Lady play music nice."

The huge bulky robotic T-rex was curled against a rock which upon it was perched an angular birdlike creature, and just along the edge hunched a thick shell beast.

What had drawn their attention so thoroughly, was a small Geisha automaton playing a koto. Her hard slender fingers plucked at the strings with a talent that no human could match. Her face was airbrushed white with red lips and heavy blue eyeshadow, and her hair was arranged away from her face and was of plastic origin.

Her dress was spread out about her and resting before her knees was a long beautifully crafted koto.

Her small mouth was carved into an eternal smile and she restarted the song, this time forgoing Mary Had A Little Lamb to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, men in black suits silently embarked into Meltdown's laboratory, taking it apart and packing up anything that seemed of value to their employer. They were in and out within 30 minutes and the small Geisha robot, kept the Dinobots entertained and out of the way.

By the time the Geisha powered down for the day, but to the disappointment of her devoted audience, the men in black returned to the boats bringing with them equipment, and hard copies of Prometheus Black's research.

* * *

It was months of work. During this time, Marlin became addicted to caffeine in order to keep her useless eyes open and sightless to allow her mind and hands to work out the schematics and her ears to listen to Diamond's calculations and theories.

Her fingers rolled over pieces and parts of accurate models and she was able to understand how things fitted and worked together to form and do what she wanted. She entrusted Diamond's sharp optics to judge if the project was working smoothly.

She kept in touch with Meltdown whom she still called Prometheus. It seemed that he was allowed a weekend phone call for thirty minutes like the rest of the inmates, though the phone was brought to him through a special hatch and he was promised by the warden himself that if he purposely melted the phone, that would be the end of the calls.

Meltdown never understood why he continued to accept her calls. By all logic, he should simply refuse her calls. He never loved her and he knew that she never loved him.

She kept him up to date on her work without revealing too much about it. From what he could discern, she was working on a weapon, a machine. And she talked quite often of the thinking machines, the Autobots and that new breed that appeared recently, Decepticons. She was fascinated and pondered what their AI was like.

"Marlin, they think."

"Of course, they think. They're robots, walking computers. It's the emotions I am talking about. They simulate emotional reactions just like any children's toy. Take those teddy bears that Sumdac created when he was first getting started. They laughed and giggled whenever they were tickled or a joke was told. Does that mean they are actually actually having a physical reaction to their chassis being fondled by fingers or they actually understand and find humor in a joke? No. they have a program that tells them what to do in certain situations."

If Meltdown had a nose, he would be squeezing the bridge of it now. Marlin hadn't changed at all. She was still insistent she was right and everyone else was wrong or mistaken. "Dear, I've been around these machines. I even fought them. I have seen them express wide range of emotions. I may not be an engineer or a technician, but I know emotions when I see them."

"Then you are being fooled, my acidic man. Don't worry, you aren't the only one. The mayor, Sumdac, the citizens of Detroit, they are all being suckered by an excellent AI and behavioral patterns. By God, I would just love to open up their components and study them for myself. If we can duplicate the process, then think of how popular Marlin's would be?"

"Marlin, the things I've seen, you cannot replicate with 1s and 0s in a computer brain."

"I'm surprised at you." Her voice came over in a low tone as one would use to scold a small child. "I thought you hated machines, why are you defending them?"

"I am not defending them!' His voice broke out flustered and aggravated. "I'm merely stating an observation I made of them. If you could see. . . .I mean, understand, then you would know what I mean."

"Prometheus, we have two minutes left of this call. Want to change the subject or keep going in circles with this?"

"No, I'll just hang up." He hung up.

* * *

Sergent Wilkes regarded the two CEOs before him from behind his desk. Though they bore no weapons and no blows exchanged, they were at war with each other and he was the prize. He had served in the military for a good thirty years, seen combat, been shot, had comrades fall in battle, and he did not fear battle, but this is what he dreaded. He would rather be out in the field in a hot zone than be the prize for competing companies.

To his right was Porter C. Powell, the current CEO of Sumdac Systems, which was once a strictly civilian robotics company, now stretching out into military weaponry. The dark skin man wearing pink sunglasses and a cream color suit sat large in a leather seat with thick air of confidence about him.

To his left sat an attractive woman wearing thick shades and a thin hand on a cane propped against her thigh. He couldn't tell what she was feeling or thinking, her shades were too thick. But there was a tilt at the corner of her lips and a small baring of teeth that proved to him that she was assured at Powell.

The problem was. . . .one of them was going to loose.

The government was willing to fund one project this year and his superiors left it to him to decide which project should be given the go ahead and funded. So far, the projects that Powell had put forth had seemed promising, especially the Headmaster unit demonstrated by a Henry Masterson.

The kid struck him as a punk, what with his bewildering jargon and had no discipline nor class. But just as he was disgusted by the pilot, the Headmaster unit impressed him. Overseas, in Asia, they were already creating large battle drones and to turn a full operational drone against the enemy would be a great advantage.

Marlin on the other hand, hasn't provided anything substantial, however insisting that she would rather the Sergent see it for himself which led rumors that this was just a publicity stunt on her part. Why would a company that manufacture toys and care giving machines suddenly want to get into the weaponry business?

Another thing, she insisted that they push ahead with the propositions, which were scheduled three months from now, as soon as possible, to today, without stating a reason why. She must have had some ties within the government to have this pushed ahead of schedule of which Powell adamantly objected to.

"Sir, I must object to this." Powell began.

Ah, here we go. . . .

"The decision was to be made in June. This puts me at a disadvantage." Powell's mustache twitched as as he spoke.

"Oh? You mean your scientist can't get away from his video games to produce more headmaster units?" Marlin quipped.

"It takes time to replicate a headmaster unit . . . " Powell turned a glare at her through his pink glasses.

"And I'm sure Masterson refuses to take his Ritalin."

"Enough." Sergent Wilkes rapped his knuckles on his desk. "I made it clear that we will keep this civil or I will go back to the Pentagon without signing anything. I'm here to make a military decision, not act like a daddy breaking up a fight. Marlin, you pushed to have this moved up in the schedule and you got what you wanted. So please, lets get started."

Marlin's lips turned up into a smile and she scooted forward in her chair. "I created a weapon that would allow us not only to have the advantage in military globally, but allow us to stand against Autobots and Decepticons alike."

"That is a bold claim, ma'am. I hope you can back it up." Sergent Wilkes muttered, hiding his curiosity behind a strict discipline position.

"Sir, I already proven that Sumdac Systems can more than adequately provide this security measure." Powell declared throwing another ugly look at the blind woman.

"And Masterson failed twice. Once when he ran a muck after being terminated by Sumdac, and that fiasco with the boat." Marlin kept her face forward, a blind stare.

"There was no charges pressed from that incidence, ma'am!" Powell blurted, his hands bracing on the arms of his chair.

"Because you jumped through legal loops to keep him out of jail."

"As I said." Sergent Wilkes's voice raised an octave with a firm tone. "We will keep this civil."

A cellphone attached to Marlin's belt beeped. The blind woman didn't fumble for it or had to seek it with her hands, she snagged it, opened it with a thumb and held it to her ear.

She nodded and hung up. "They are ready. I will explain as we head to the observation deck."

She rose smoothly, both of her hands bracing on her cane. "Follow me, please, gentlemen."

She spoke as she led them down the halls and to an elevator. She knew her way, her finger tips occasionally touching Braille dotting below the room names beside each door.

"We've arranged a prototype which we have titled NightBird. This machine does borrow some design and schematics from our , however this project comes in a much larger size."

The observational room had a white theme to it. White walls, carpet, and with a matching couch on a blue rug. Two young women both in long dress pants, white blouses with gold vests. Their hair was brushed away from her faces and they stood at attention with straight backs and blank faces. One held a champagne bottle and the other held three wine glasses on a tray.

For a brief moment, Sergent Wilkes believes them to be automatons , but once he got closer, he saw that their eyes glistened wetly like any human's.

A far door opened and in stepped two more women. No, wait, a girl and a tall white C.T. Sergent Wilkes recognized Diamond, Marlin's assistant droid, but he never saw the girl before.

She was wearing a skin tight bodysuit black with red strips along the thighs and shoulders. Her hair was arranged back into a tight brown braid. The girl was young, likely a college intern with large bright blue eyes.

"I haven't introduced you yet. This is Rachel Webb." Marlin held out her hand and Diamond took it, leading her mistress gently to standing beside the intern. Marlin held a seeking hand and found Rachel Webb's shoulder. "She's been an intern for our company for nearly a year now and has shown great promise in the field of robotics. She's also been a great asset to this project."

"It's nice to meet you." Rachel held out her hand.

Sergent Wilkes took her hand and gave her a firm handshake. This girl looked only a few years older than his own daughter. He noted that she was pale and that there was a greyness about her eyes which was almost hidden by the thick makeup she applied.

Rachel offered her hand to Powell, but it was ignored.

"So, this young lady will be piloting the weapon?" Powell inquired turning away from Rachel's outstretched hand.

"Yes and no." Marlin grinned. "She will be in control of the NightBird Unit, however she won't be inside it. She'll control from here with us."

This drew a long silence from the men. Powell broke it with a chuckle, "What? Remote control?"

"Yes and no." Marlin answered. "It's transmitting brain waves to a circuit board that carries out the commands."

"There is no way you managed to accomplish such feat, Miss Marlin." Powell waved his hand in dismissal at her. "The human brain isn't powerful enough to relay completely through frequencies."

"Yes, it is, if it had some help." Marlin made signal with raised hand, and Diamond stepped aside to reveal a small table. On it was a black helmet, sleek, with red inlays along the temple area and lights flickered along the edges.

Marlin moved a hand and found the helmet. She ran her fingers over the inlays and lights. "Within this our device that took us years to create And those secrets will be available to you, once our contract is signed."

"IF it is signed, you mean." Powell snorted, his eyes glaring at the helmet.

Marlin ignored him, continuing with her lecture. "You see Rachel's body suit at the same inlays on the inside, at most of the nerves throughout her body. It easier to tell a brainwave relay to move an arm, if the sensation of your own arm was sent to it as well."

"Interesting concept, Miss Marlin, but I'd still like to see it in action before I get impressed." Sergent Wilkes gave Rachel a warm smile. "I came here to see a machine, not a pretty girl."

"Of course, I perfectly understand. Diamond, the blinds please."

The robot stepped silently to a seal which she pressed with two fingers. The blinds folded aside, letting sunlight in. Sergent Wilkes winced, but through squinted eyes, he could make out a tall slim form outside standing in a field. He stepped closer to the window.

Figure was humanoid, two long legs, two thin arms, a head, with a human like face. The figure was androgynous, slim waist and hips, but with broad shoulder plating. It made him think of a young teenage boy before hitting a growth spurt into manhood.

He recognized it as a C.T. Or one similar to one. Marlin's Cares robots were known for their more aesthetic appeal, human like features. The problem was that creating a more human like robot cost fives times the amount of creature a odd shapely robot that can perform the same function. Thus was the reason why Sumdac Systems's flourished while Marlin's Care was stagnant.

Marlin's voice rose high with pride. "Project Nightbird has an internal energy core that could power a third world country for a year. Meaning it can run for 10 years without a need for refuel. It can outstrip any land cruiser and no heights are too high for it to leap."

"A bit on the . . .small side." Powell commented, scrutinizing the machine.

"Yes, to cut costs, and this model was designed for stealth and speed, than for power or armor." Marlin explained shifting her cane to her other hand. "This thing was designed to win battles effectively and quickly before the thought of retaliation occurs to them. War isn't won by brute force, but by decisive action. Take Masterson's invention for example; took control of two powerful Autobots and defeated each time."

"I want to see this thing in action. What paces will you be putting it through?" Sergent Wilkes inquired. One of the waitresses offered him some wine, but he gently refused her with a wave of one hand.

"Sir, I don't want you to imagine what this thing can do by running an obstacle course. I want you to _see _what it can do." Marlin's face glowed when she said, "Nightbird will be battling an Autobot."


	4. Failure 1

Just a should out to all the people who are reading this fic! In this chapter, there will be robot action with a couple of canon characters.

**Failure**

The red firetruck noticed the furtive glances shot in his direction. They were wondering if he was a real firetruck or one of the Autobots. They ignored him and shied away from him as he drove past. This was a stark contrast from just after they awaken on Earth.

The humans would crowd around him, asking if he was Optimus Prime and requesting that he quote a line that had become quite popular with them.

Now they just ignore him, some cursing at him for something he had no hand in doing and had done everything in his power to prevent.

He kept assuring the others that eventually the humans would come to trust them again. That they would be called heroes instead of menaces again. He always spoke calmly and reassuringly to them, but when he was alone, he let himself sink into his own doubts.

Perhaps he should just contact Cybertron and request a ship to be sent to take them home. No, no, no! They were needed here. Decepticons were still on Earth planning something, the others would be crushed if they left, Sari's human heart would break, and to see Sentinel's smug face when he would no doubt rub Optimus's failure in his face.

Optimus's engine revved in anger as he imagined Sentinel's cruel and humiliating words and several humans yelped startled. A few even cursed at him. He muttered several apologizes and hastily made his way through traffic.

* * *

"Target Prime is almost in position."

Marlin stood to the side of the room, a headset on her head with a small mic near her lips. "Keep tracking him and don't let him out of your radar. NightBird will be there shortly. Marlin out."

She flipped the mic from her lips and said, "Get ready, Rachel, you're up."

Rachel nodded and fitted the helmet on her head. She hooked a strap beneath her chin and slipped a bit between her teeth.

"What is the gag for?" Sergent Wilkes asked, watching curiously.

"Ah, connecting mentally with the machine can cause spasm, minor seizures that are harmless, but can cause you to bite your lips or tongue so we take safety precautions." Marlin explained as Rachel lowered herself onto a reclining cott. Her wrists and ankles were secured in straps by the waitresses and a visor was placed over her eyes. "I assure you that it is comfortable and by no means is she in any distress through the duration of her time controlling the NightBird. This is just for her own safety."

"We're ready to connect ma'am." A waitress spoke monitoring a computer set up by Rachel's shoulder. Several cables and lines connected the helmet to the back of the computer. "We only need you to give the okay."

Marlin nodded, "Go ahead.."

The waitress typed at the keyboard. "Initiating connection. Rach, are you ready?"

Rachel's right hand curled into a thumbs up.

The waitress nodded and initiated the command. Rachel's head rocked back and if one could see her eyes, they would see that they were rolling to the back of her head. Her arms and legs shuddered, but not violently. This was a relatively easy connection this time around.

Rachel's eyes focused and through the visor, she saw open feet very far away at dark feet. She raised one foot experimentally and then the other. She went through through the necessary exercises. Lift both knees in a march, raise her arms, and bend the elbows, rotate the head, and then arch the back.

The waist whirred and clicked as the spine fitted together to allow the flexible of the body. Rachel, or better yet, NightBird gave a thumbs up toward the observation deck.

* * *

"Systems check out. We're ready."

Marlin nodded. She drew the mic to her lips again. "NightBird, we're sending you coordinates now. "

"Generating field camouflage now."

The imagery around wavered around NightBird and slipped into the background like a ghost.

* * *

Optimus's patrol took him through the park during early afternoon. It was mostly empty, the humans having work or school to attend to. He reported back to base that he had found and detected nothing out of the ordinary. He was about to make his way back, when an eerie prickly along his circuits caused him to stop in mid U-turn.

He transformed and stood tall, towering over the playground, an arm raised to his shoulder prepared to go for his ax. Leaves whispered in the wind, branches stirred, even a bird chirped, and nothing happened. He remained frozen there for a several pulses of his spark, then he relaxed. He was becoming paranoid . . .

A blow caught him across the chin throwing him into stun shock and whipping his head to the left. His arm was seized and he found himself catapulted into a somersault and land with a clang onto his back. His wrist was still grasped and with a sharp twist it was render useless with a spark as the wiring in his servo was exposed.

He yelled, using the pain to send a jolt through his body to snatch his ax from it's lodging and swing it. It hissed through the air connecting with nothing. He caught the sight of dust leaping up as feet scrambled away. His legs shook, but steadied as he stood, ax tight in one hand and the other handing useless at his side. He found that he could still bend his arm, meaning he could use it to block if necessary.

His optics scanned the park. Nothing, no tell tale sight except for the scrambling foot scuffles in the sand.

He heard a crunch of earth and his spun with his ax, letting it go. It spun, the glowing blue inlays making a blue circle. The swing set was demolished as it cleaved through the fragile poles and the blade embedded itself in a great oak tree.

Feet kicked up dust in small clouds and he was barely able to block in time before a black foot could connect with his face. The foot connected with the criss-cross of his arms and then he thrust it away. A slim form braced itself on thin legs away from him, arms up in a fighting style he didn't recognized.

He couldn't determine if it was a femme or not. It has the smallness and feminine features of a femme, but then it had the brought shoulders and narrow hips of a smaller model mech like Bumblebee. The being was too small to be a Decepticon, but was clearly not an Autobot. Was this an Xenomech?

"Who are you? Why are you attacking me!?" He demanded, remaining alert if there were like it.

It's face was blank, neutral, completely devoid of any emotion. Even its face was not that of a Cybertronian. Thin lips, with a nose that protruded from its face, very much like a human's. It dashed forward.

Optimus fired his grappling hooks, and touch the edge of its foot before it leaped, legs curled beneath it, then one leg swung out. Optimus ducked and felt the air stir as the foot passed inches from his cheek. The second leg thrusted out, catching him on the shoulder, making him stumble back.

Before he could recover, blows rained about his face and shoulders. They were open handed slaps, but still stung and irritated him. He kicked out and the being flipped backwards and landed on both feet and resumed that crouch as before.

He panted, air hissing through his vents. "Why are you attacking!? What is this about!?"

It didn't answer and it's face registered no emotion.

Optimus considered his options and stood straight, holding up his hands. "I don't want to fight you anymore. Just tell me what is going on."

It's right hand flicked and then there was a dash of pain across Optimus's cheek. He clutched it, feeling thick energon fuel seeping from the deep cut on his face. He wasted no time. He pressed a seal at his audio to contact the others and felt his frequency blocked. It was being jammed from somewhere. He was on his own.

* * *

"I must say so far I am impressed." Sergent Wilkes muttered watching the screen of the live feedback of the fight. "She's faring very well for herself."

"And I assure you Sergent, this is just teasing. She hasn't gotten serious yet." Marlin replied with a grin.

Powell glared at the monitor and said nothing.

Marlin resumed giving orders to Rachel. "NightBird, rush him a few more times and tire him out. Find a single spot on his shell and attach it. With enough blows you will deal him with serious damage and. . . ."

An explosion brought nothing but static to the monitor and Marlin's smile vanished as white noise touched her ears. "Report!"

* * *

Rachel, or NightBird, found herself flying. The explosion threw her backwards where her back skidded across the grass and hit the slide twisting the metal. She scrambled to her feet, throwing aside what was left of the slide.

A tank was shoving its way through the trees, toppling them as it crunched their trunks beneath its tracks. She saw the target, Optimus Prime, splayed across a merry-go-ground forcing it to tilt to the side.

The tank unfolded itself and Blitzwing bearing Hothead's optic band flaring crimson. "Prepare to die, Autobots!"

Nightbird brought her camouflage shield on line and dashed forward, a metal pole from the slide clutched in her hand. Her shadow sped across the playground and she reappeared above Blitzwing's head with the pole in full swing.

An ebony hand caught the pole and her hand in one grasp and she was yanked from the air and swung in one arch. Her body sailed and crashed across the bathroom body. Pipes burst, water spewed, and ceramic toilets and mirrors shattered as she thrashed her way onto her feet.

She was barely able to scramble out of the way before a burst of flames incinerated the collapsed building.

* * *

"I take it, that this was unplanned for." Powell said, a snide grin on his face.

Marlin kept her voice steady. "Yes, this was unplanned for, but I consider it a stroke of luck. Now you can really see Nightbird put through its paces."

Marlin clutched the top of her cane in a white knuckle grip and sent a signal to Diamond who turned and walked out of the room.

"Are you sure that Nightbird isn't too light weight to fight that thing?" Sergent Wilkes asked her, looking at the scene with concern.

"I assure you that NightBird will prevail. It was designed for this."

"It sounds like you are trying to convince yourself of that, Miss Marlin." Powell took a long sip of his wine which he helped himself to.

"I don't have to convince myself of anything, Mr. Powell." Marlin responded in a harsh tone. "Nightbird will prove its worth to you now."

In the back, the waitress, Amanda and Sammi, looked at each other nervously over Rachel. They had been interning with Rachel for the last year and worked fully on this project for Marlin.

Amanda, who was manning the computer chewed her lip. "How is she doing?"

"Alright, so far. . . .dammit, this wasn't suppose to happen." Sammi whispered back, checking over Rachel's stats. "The longest she was ever been in without pain was 20 minutes. It's almost been 15 now."

"Rachel is just gonna have to tough it, because if this fails. . . ." Amanda let the words hang in the air between them. "Look, just keep monitoring her and help her if she needs. We got pain killers that will help her out if need be. And. . . be sure to wipe away any blood before they see. . . ."

* * *

Optimus groaned, his spinal assembly was hurting and his wrist wasn't much better. He could hear fire rumbling and wood crackling as it burned. He forced himself to his feet and attempted to contact the others. Nothing, the signal was still blocked.

"Slag!" He cursed.

The stranger was dodging Blitzwing's attack, attempting to get closer to him. The few blows that it he managed to land wasn't effective against the Decepticon's heavy plating. He was batted away like an annoying cat.

Nightbird landed gracefully on her feet, then dropped to one knee clutching her head.

* * *

"Shit!" Sammi muttered as she quickly dabbed at blood that was oozing from Rachel's nose. "We need to pull her out."

"No way! Marlin would beat us to death with her cane!" Amanda maintained the connection with a taps of a few keys. "Come on, Rach, you can do it girl. Just hang in there."

Sammi moved her hand over to a tray, ready to apply pain killers as needed.

To the front, Sergent Wilkes looked concern. "Is there a problem, Marlin? It looks like your lady is in pain."

The blind woman offered up a grin that didn't display any concern at all. "I remind you that its still a prototype, so there are bound to be small hiccups, but we are hammering them out as they show up."

Sergent Wilkes frowned, his forehead wrinkling with displeasure. "And hiccups in combat can cause lives, Miss Marlin, and could cause battles, and possibly wars."

"I am very well aware of that, sir." Her voice took on a harder tone. "I assure you that these problems will be taken care of by the time they hit mass productions."

"If they get to mass production you mean." Powell smirked, sloshing win inside his glass.

* * *

The pain was like a knife in her brain. It was hurting, and though she was clutching the shell where her mind was, it was her physical brain, miles away that was hurting. Why was the pain traveling with her mind?

"LOOK OUT!!!"

The target crashed into her, shoving her out of the way as a sharp shards of ice burst forth from the ground. The ice would have easily impaled her thin plating.

She lay on her side, a thick red body hovering over her and an authoritative voice above her spoke, "Stay down! I'm going to try to lead him away. You get out of here."

Nightbird, Rachel's mind, wanted to ask him why was he protecting her after she attacked him? She couldn't. NightBird wasn't designed to speak.

Optimus shoved her onto her feet. "Go!"

She went.

* * *

"Oh, now its running away from battle." Powell chuckle, finding himself very much comfortable.

Marlin stepped away from the men and spoke into a mic in a low hiss. "Rachel, what the hell are you doing, get back in there. . . ."

Sergent Wilkes gave her a cold look and was looking more and more displeased to be there. "Miss Marlin, unless this thing impresses me in the next ten minutes, then I will have to cut my visit short."

It was a very good thing that Marlin's eyes were hidden behind dark shades. Though she was blind, her eyes could narrow into dangerous slits.

In the back, Sammi was wiping away more blood from Rachel's nose and grimaced at the amount on the tissue. "We're going to have to pull her out if this keeps up."

Amanda was typing commands into the keyboard. I could tighten the signal and possibly block out some of the pain, but. . . it might diminish some of her control."

Sammi glanced at the monitor showing Nightbird vacating the scene. "Do it. She should be out of danger."

* * *

Car horns honked and swerve about her dashing feet. This wasn't suppose to happen. She was suppose to dispose of the target and then return to HQ. Damn, what was Marlin going to say and do to her when she returned to her body?

At least the throbbing pain was lessing. Amanda must be tightening the signal range. The shell was slow to respond to her commands, but at least the pain was dulled down a bit.

Nightbird stopped, keeping her feet on the side walk and looked down the path. She should return, Marlin would want her to go back, but what could she do? The Decepticon was too powerful . . .

Further up the street, a missile hit the north end of a highway bridge.


	5. Failure 2

**Failure part 2**

"We lost them on the monitor." Amanda murmured, her fingers dancing on the keyboard as she locked onto the coordinates. "I'm sending the coordinates to the Sky Cams, they'll be there in 2 minutes. Right now, I can switch it to POV view and see what she is looking at."

A few taps of the keys and the monitor to Sammi's right flicked over from the Sky Cam's view of rushing over green treetops to a pair of dark metal metal feet bracing against the highway road with concrete crashing and breaking about them. Cars streaked between and around them.

The women stared at the monitor with twin perplex faces.

"What the hell is she doing?" Sammi stared at the monitor, an IV drip in hand.

"Sky Cams are there. . . switching to. . . .HOLY SHIT!!!!!!"

* * *

Her leg struts weren't strong enough, her arms were shaking, and her shoulders were beginning to crack, yet, she still held the bridge up.

She acted without thinking, her dark form darting down the street. There had been kids in the car that was traveling beneath it when it gave way. Now she was stuck.

She could hear the cars screeching to a halt above her on the bridge and watch them pile up at her feet. People scream and began evacuating their cars, pulling possession and kids out and running down the street.

Should she drop it now? What if there were still people atop of the bridge? What if she couldn't run out of in time before it fell? There was damage in her legs, she could feel it.

* * *

Marlin stormed into the back, her cane almost whacking the floor as she walked. "What the hell is going on!? Tell me!" Both woman remained silent, neither wanting to be the bearer of bad news. "One of you better start talking to me!"

"She's. . . .she's in downtown."

"Why the fuck is she there!? That was off limits!" Marlin's swung her cane, nearly knocking the IV pole onto its side. "Pull her out! NOW!"

"We can't! It could cause mental damage to yank her out like that!" Sammi burst out, her eyes glistening with fear.

Marlin seemed to bristle, her rage evident in her in her creasing face and her trembling mouth. Amanda was quick to blurt out, "Nightbird will be crushed under the debris!"

This was logic that spoke true to Marlin's heart. She relaxed, her brows still furrowed and her lips set in a firm line. "What can be done?"

"I recommend we wait until the rescue crews get there and evacuate the civilians. Then Rachel can drop that bridge and get out of the way." Amanda suggested, glad that they had dodged a bullet.

"No, order her to drop the bridge and return to base. Nightbird is a military robot, not a rescue bot." Marlin snapped.

"But. . . .but people are still . . . ." Sammi whispered, her heart growing heavy

Marlin had both her hands set atop of her cane and her lips curled into feral snarl. "They die . . . they die."

* * *

The order came and she ignored. She joined this protect to help her country and what was a country without its citizens?

Her right knee wobbled and then buckled. Her body lowered and it was enough to bring giant chunks of debris crashing down, hitting her feet and abandoned cars. Could she let go now? Was everyone clear?

Her other knee was beginning to trembled.

What would happen to her if she died? Would her mind go back to her body? Or stay trap and die in this one?

She didn't want to die . . .

"Need a servo?" Her chin lifted from when it was tucked against her chest beneath the weight of the bridge and saw a large round green mechanoid. Nightbird found the weight lifted off her shoulder with ease as if the bridge was a simple pillow.

The much larger mech was holding up the bridge _with one hand! _If Nightbird was able, she would have stared stunned at him with mouth open and optics wide.

_Is this shell really that weak?_

"This way!" She whipped her head and spotted a red and white gruffy looking mechanoid motioning her to him. "I'll patch ya up."

She ran a quick diagnostic of her functions. The shell of her knee was cracked and the joint was jammed, making it hard to bend and unbend it, but it was doable. She worked the joint to test it and watched sparks sputter within the cracks.

"Don't do that you little glitch, are you trying to burn out your knee?" The red and white snapped at her and while he walked toward.

****Rachel, get away from there, NOW!****

Nightbird caught the red and white's mech's hand before he could touch her and shoved it away. She bent her knees, ignoring the warning from the internal computers regarding the injured knee and performed a elegant back flip over the bridge. She landed in a perfect kneeling position and with a sickening twist of the knee was off, dashing like a dark gazelle through downtown.

* * *

"Well, what do you think got in to her. . .I mean his. . . . uh, her. . . .circuits?" Bulkhead pondered, easily supporting the bridge.

"That was no Cybertronian." Ratchet muttered, blue optics narrowed suspiciously. "Something off about that glitch."

"Has Prowl and Bee headed off Lugnut?" Bulkhead carefully lowered the what remained of the bridge, but it clattered to pieces onto the pavement, but human lives were safe from being crushed beneath its weight now.

"They haven't reported. You go back and help them, I'm gonna head to where Optimus is."

Twenty minutes age, when the signal scrambler was deactivated, Optimus found that he could get his frequency out and contacted the others who were currently trying to head off Lugnut when his stray missile struck the bridge.

Ratchet and Bulkhead transformed, and both headed off on their missions.

* * *

"_This demonstration was HORRIBLE! I had hopes when this began and you had my interest, but this is a complete failure! If this thing can't handle a single Decepticon, then why the hell build it!? I am not going to waste this government's funding on a waste of machinery! Stick with your care taking robots, Marlin, going down this route will bankrupt you, you mark my words."_

She was blind, she couldn't see his stern face and the sharp line of his mouth. She could hear the censure on his tone toward her and it cut her deeper than if she was able to see him.

"_Maybe another time, Marlin, maybe after you do more work on your . . .DarkHawk was it? Anyway, I'll be going. Sergent Wilkes and I have some discussing to do."_

If she had had a gun in her hand and had sight, she would have shot to kill him.

Her rage was so great that it felt solid in her chest. Like a growing pulsing tumor ready to burst through her chest. She said nothing, sat in a unfolded chair and waited for her creation to return. And her silence terrified her assistants, Amanda and Sammi who were use to see her on the warpath cursing, raging, and even swinging her cane to connect with whatever was unfortunate enough to be within reach.

But Marlin remained silent, both hands loose on her cane and her face set in a blank mask, hiding the fury within her.

"Mar. . . .Marlin, NightBird is returning, but she is taking a roundabout way. I think she wants to avoid running into. . . that Decepticon again."

Sammi took a quick glance at Marlin and whispered, "Rachel is having a touch time. The pain is becoming too much for her to handle and. . . I can't give her anymore pain killers, she'll overdose."

Amanda took a chance and spoke softly, "I recommend that we allow Nightbird to shut down and pull Rachel out and then send out a retrieval crew to. . ."

"No, Rachel will bring Nightbird back here." Marlin's voice fell as sharp glass.

"But Marlin . . . ."

"Shut up and do as I say."

* * *

The pain was like a weight in her head. She kept tripping, her black feet stumbling over heels, logs, and stones. The grace that Nightbird had demonstrated earlier was gone to be replaced by pain and the shell refusing to comply with her mental commands.

Her knee had given out a while ago, it refused to move and she was forced to drag it behind her leg behind her. Thankfully, she wasn't able to feel the pain of this shell, she could place some weight on the leg without being paralyzed by pain.

She had left the edge of the city at full speed, and jogged part way in hopes of loosing herself in the woods. She halted once, her audio receptors catching the whump whump sound of a helicopter over head. Once it past, she continued, though she found the shell was sluggish in obeying her commands.

Earth crunch and she popped a blade that was hidden in a thin sheath at the wrist. The blade extended past her hand and its reach was as long as her forearm.

"There is no need for that." A deep cultured voice spoke and two red orbs flared within the dark shade. "I did not to fight."

Pain lashed through her head like a hot pocket in an open wound. The shell clutched its head with a free hand, the wrist-blade hanging loosely at its hip.

"In pain?" There was more crunching of the earth and the crackle of fallen leaves.

She hefted the blade up, but the giant footsteps continued.

* * *

"SHIT!!!" Amanda snarled at the screen. "Of ALL the Decepticons. . . . Goddammit! Does she have a fucking "All Decepticons attack me" sign on her back or something!?"

Sammi turned to a small console that Rachel's helmet was also hooked up. "I'm pulling her out now. Let 'em have the damn thing. They can probably use it as a sex doll, whatever the hell they want it for."

"Wait." Marlin whispered, finding an outlet for her anger. "Let him come closer, then pull out Rachel. Amanda, you'll take it over manually and here is what you will do . . . ."

Both women turned to their boss, both having very concerned looks.

* * *

There was something strange about this interloper. It wasn't Cybertronian, he could tell from the body shape and very basic style. Was it one of those Xenomechs? Robots who weren't from Cybetron, but were independent enough to be considered a race.

He had questions, why was he attacking the Autobots? Where did he come from? And how could Megatron use him to his advantage.

The thing slide to the ground, clutching its head and its blade sliding across the grass and stirring leaves as it wavered from the obvious pain. Unnervingly, he held no expression. It was blank, betraying no emotion or expression of the obvious pain he was in.

Megatron reached down a great black hand and wrapped it around an arm he could snap with a thought and pulled the interloper off his feet. He hung limply by the arm as Megatron scrutinized him. "Where did you come from?"

No answer, its head lolled to the side.

Megatron gave him a shake and spoke in a harsh impatient tone. "Answer me."

No answer.

Megatron's optics narrowed, and his hand tighten. He felt the shell of the arm crack, and there was no response from the mechanoid, he might has well have given it a gentle tap.

His other hand came up and snagged its chin, forcing it up to face him. "If you don't fear pain, perhaps you'd fear going off line, permanently."

His fingers tightened along its cheeks, and the face plate began to crack and still no pain or fear was express in that face. Was there no sentience in this shell?

Then the thing thrust itself against him, ripping its face from his hand, looking the outer plating of its face, exposing the metal skeleton beneath it. It's free arm and legs wrapped around his waist and Megatron's sensor net detected a clicking within the much smaller body and he knew. . . .it had initiated a self-destruct sequence.


	6. Aftermath

**Re: Omega**

Thanks, I like my villains scary and very much a villain. And the scariest part of a villain is apathy.

Thanks for all the reviews guys, I got nervous because of the number of Ocs, but honestly, I like creating my own characters with flaws, and I hate Mary Sues, so I put my characters through the Mary Sue test before I begin any fic.

**Aftermath**

"So, why do you think I hired you?"

Amanda, Sammi, and Rachel, who was clutching an icepack to her temple while clutching a bloody tissue to her nose, sat around a table with the Nightbird control equipment laying abandoned on the berth.

"Ma'am. . . .we should take Rachel to the hospital." Sammi whispered, her fingers twisting a tissue between them. She had been helping Rachel clean the blood from her face and eyes.

"Why?" Marlin snarled at her. The blind woman was standing, cane held in one hand, her other hand clutched at her hip.

"Well, usually when people are bleeding from the eyes. . . .I tend to want to call an ambulance." Sammi replied with a soft edge in her tone.

"Rachel, can you still see?" Marlin directed her voice to Rachel. She knew where they sat, for that she always insisted that they stand or sit in this order. Amanda left, Rachel middle, and Sammi right, that way she knew who to direct her questions to and expect her answers from.

"Yes, ma'am, but. . . my vision is a little blurry and the blood is making my eyes sting a little. . . .and my head really really hurts."

"That's better than what I can say for myself." Marlin tapped her dark shades with a finger. "I repeat my question, why did I hire you?"

The three young women were silent, before Amanda took a stab at it. "Because we were the top of our field."

"You fucking idiot." Marlin snapped making the poor lady flinch. "I'm the top of my field and that is all I need for this project. I hired you three for this project for different reasons! YOU," she jabbed her cane in Amanda's direction, "Your daddy paid me to bring you onto this. Paid me 5 million to hire you out of 50 students that were more qualified than your rich little ass."

Amanda's face drained of all color as her hazel eyes opened slowly horrified. Her auburn hair stood out in shocking contrast. She had come from a very wealthy family where her father was a CEO of a global company. "He wouldn't. . . . "

"You want to see the check he slipped me? Want to see his signature on it? Alright, I'll have Diamond fetch you a copy when she gets back from cleaning up your mess up." Marlin swivel to Rachel and jabbed her cane at her. "And as for you, I hired you to be damn guinea pig because you have no family. No one to sue me if you died or become a fucking vegetable."

Rachel shook her head and winced as her head protested the slight movement. Rachel had grown up an orphan and went from foster home to foster home until she turned 16 and was accepted into a boarding school per scholarship. Then she went straight to college on another scholarship and was discovered by Marlin who approached her for the Nightbird project.

"And you, last, but certainly not least," Marlin swung her cane to Sammi who sat frozen with near terror. "I hired you because you were good in bed!"

Amanda and Rachel forgot their humiliations and focused on Sammi, eyebrows raised and eyes wide. Sammi look as if she was going to vomit and Marlin smelling weakness came in for the kill. "What? You thought you were giving me pity sex? Because I was blind? Oh please, I've been using my blindness to get into people's beds for years."

Sammi's breathing became erratic as she looked at her friends, the people she had worked with over a year and they were staring at her in a new way, a cautious way. She gagged, her hand clutched over her mouth.

Marlin's lips turned up into a sickeningly gleeful grin when she heard the gag. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I just throw you out of your pink wallpapered closet?"

* * *

The forest trembled as the Autobots searched the area for the source of the explosion that occurred 15 minutes ago.

Bulkhead's very wide frame brushed trees aside as if they were thin weeds, branches snapping in sharp cracks against his broad shoulder fenders. He couldn't zip between the trunks like Bumblebee's small form could nor gracefully weave through the branches like the slim form of Prowl, he was Bulkhead and he crushed and destroyed things.

He radioed in, "Nuthin' here, guys."

Optimus, who had fortunately led Blitzwing away from the park and humans, and when the explosion occurred, with Blitzwing distracted, Optimus slipped away and contacted the others. He made it priority that the source of the explosion be found.

"Keep searching the area, Bulkhead and from here on out, keep radio silence. Prowl thinks we have stranger around here. Report if you see anything. Optimus Prime, out."

Bulkhead glanced about once the connection was cut, not spotting anything. He relaxed his guard, he wished they would hurry and find the source so they could go home. There was a new art style he wanted to try and. . .

Something ghostly white, like a thin phantom slipped through the trees and manifested itself as a white slim femme bot. She was just like the dark stranger from before, but she was clear white color as new morning snow. Her optics was the palest shade of blue, like those of a husky dog.

She stood still as a bird alerted to a predator. Bulkhead's processor formed the words, _'who are you?' _and _'where did you come from?', _but his vocalizer refused to produce the words. He heard himself stammaring, "Wha.. . Uhhh. . . hammana. . . .I. . . .you. . . . ohhhh, ehhhh."

The femme tilted her head at him, her face blank, revealing no sense of emotion despite the body language for confusion or curiosity. Her optics merely processed him, and his round face turned crimson as heat flushed to his facial plating, heating it up as blacksmith would heat a sword to a glowing amber.

Still, Bulkhead couldn't get his vocal components to speak or produce any questions, especially the question that he really wanted to ask, "_Who are you?"_

And there was a deeper question, deep in his spark that he truly wanted to ask the instant she stepped through the trees. _"Will you be my bondmate?"_

She finally spoke, "There is 80% chance that you will not attack me. I shall proceed now."

And with that, she walked around him and as she had appeared, bringing his spark to a powerful pulse, she departed and his spark dimmed within his chamber at her leaving.

* * *

"You bitch." Amanda found her voice, her teeth clenched in a snarl as she stood. "You blaming us!? You are fucking blaming _us_!?" The intern jabbed a finger at Marlin, not caring if the blind woman could see it or not. "I _told _you that the project wasn't ready! I _told _that we needed more time, more field tests, but no, you just refused to wait!"

Marlin set her cane down, the end clopping on the floor with a sharp snap, like a crack of a whip.

Amanda came around the table, her face set in fierce mask of anger and hate. "You ignored me, and you ignored Rachel, and you ignored Sammi. We fucking told you that the project wasn't ready. That we needed another year, no, at least six more months before we demonstrated the prototype. _You _were the one that kept pushing for us to complete it without proper testing, and had us bust our asses to set up this demonstration in two weeks!"

Amanda stood two feet away from the blind woman and stood several inches taller than her. Rachel and Sammi remained frozen at the table, terror and admiration filling their hearts. Terror of what Marlin's reaction would be and admiration that Amanda finally had found the guts to say what they had longed to say to Marlin.

"You think we _wanted _to see this fail?" Amanda continued, her eyes glistening with her rage. We put our hearts into this project. I put up with you chewing me out over every little error, Sammi stayed up nights, sometimes going days without sleep to meet your deadlines, and Rachel, hell, Rachel put more into this than any of us. She gets frequent nosebleeds and headaches and should go see a doctor, but she doesn't go because you're so goddamn afraid of them discovering some secret. All you ever do is order us around! I designed Nightbird, Sammi figured out the brain wave relay system, and Rachel is the pilot for the machine. Nightbird is more ours than yours!"

The cane swung and Amanda heard a pop in her left ear. Then out of her right ear, she heard Sammi and Rachel shriek.

* * *

"Please describe her again, Bulkhead." Prowl was perched along a thick branch, which was just a few feet.

Bulkhead fiddled with his thick servos, the derma-plating of his face was still glowing. "Well, she was. . . .ya know. . . .and she was all. . . . really. . . and. . . . really. . . . great. . . .and. . . .definitely. . . .pretty."

"Pretty. Finally a verb." Prowl rubbed the bridge of his olfactory sensory. "So the femme was pretty or was just a part of her was pretty?"

"Oh, she was all pretty. . . like. . . .one of those things. . .that Sari says that they have at those. . . .religious places. . . ."

"An angel?" Prowl raised an optic ridge. "Did she say or do anything?"

"Yes, she said the most beautiful thing in the world. She said, '_There is 80% chance that you will not attack me. I shall proceed now.'"_

Prowl could only respond with, "Odd."

* * *

The pain seemed to roll around inside Amanda's head, her eyes watered and her face felt numb. When her world stopped rolling and she was able to focused, a rage so great it engulfed her.

Sammi, who had been standing at Amanda's shoulder examining her ear had barely time to catch her when she lunged for Marlin.

"YOU BLIND BAT!!!!!! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!"

Marlin stepped back, just out of reach of Amanda's curled fingers that were slashing the air like an enraged at.

"Amanda! Stop it! Stop!" Sammi clutched at Amanda's shoulders, rearing her back.

Though Sammi was just trying to keep her friend from doing something that would truly end her career, it backfired on her. Amanda's rage found a new outlet.

Amanda whipped around, bring her open hand across Sammi's cheek with a loud crack. The blonde's head was whipped to the side and her world was stinging sensation, but she was able to hear the scathing words, "Get your hands off me you goddamn dyke!"

* * *

Optimus found what was left of the stranger. The torso had been blasted off the pelvis which was sprawled several yards away and the arms had been wrenched off at the elbows. They were sparking, flashers of like that reveal the dripping gore at the stumps.

Optimus knelt, radioing Ratchet to come and bring Sari and her key. He slipped an arm beneath the stranger's shoulders and hoisted the torso up. He cradle the head with his other hand and whispered, "Don't worry, help is on the way. You're going to be alright."

He looked at the face, the optics that stared blankly at him, betraying no trace of the pain the strange was surely in. Optimus felt revulsion in his spark and had to fight to resist dropping it. He didn't want to touch the stranger.

"Can you talk?" Optimus asked, seeking some sign of the will to communicate in this empty face.

A white blade extended downward and pressed against his neck. A cold tone informed him, "Release the machine and stand away."

Optimus craned his head and could spot a tall white femme standing over him, holding a long thin sword. The femme's design was exactly that of the stranger, but more feminine and the optics was larger, tilted upward.

"Who are you?"

The lips moved, concise and no waste of movement. "I refuse to answer your question. If you refuse my request again, I will decapitate you."

Optimus carefully lowered the torso to the grass. "Your friend needs help. Help is coming, please allow us to . . ."

"You have 5 seconds to move from the torso. If you do not comply, I will decapitate you."

"Alright, alright, I'm going. I'm going." Optimus held his hands up and moved away. He moved backward, keeping the femme and the torso in sight. "I need answers. Who are you?"

The white femme held the legs and pelvis over one shoulder and was clutching the arms beneath her armpit. The femme strapped the blade to her back where it folded inward, the hilt at her right shoulder. She reached down and grabbed the upper body by the head and hefted it up.

"HEY!!! Be careful! He. . . he's in a lot of pain!" Optimus started forward.

The femme bent her knees and launched upward. A jet pack opening from her back and bursting to life, the flame nearly boiling the earth before she took to the sky. Optimus watched her take off and then radioed Ratchet, "Cancel that order, Ratchet. Our stranger was just rescued. . . by another like him."


	7. Recovery

**Recovery**

Megatron had suffered only surface damage from the explosion. He had seized the interloper by the shoulder and literally ripped it off his body. Metal split at the elbows and wiring snapped until the arms fell at his feet. He flung the armless mech away from him and had taken to the air.

He was had suffered some dents and scratches from thrown debris from the explosion, but well nonetheless. But his curiosity was greatly peaked.

He knew this stranger was no Cybertronian, the body was too different and there was something off about it. He carried the empty expression of a drone, but the body language. . .the body language spoke of fear, pain, and anxiety. There was a mind behind that empty face and suicidal tendencies as well.

He had Lugnut scan the area for any space ship frequencies or energy signs. Even hacked into NASA computers for any reports of unusual meteorites entering the atmosphere. Nothing unusual, so the only possible conclusion would be that an Allspark or the Key may have created more life. Still, that didn't explain the strangeness of the being.

It seemed with the apparent death of the being would remain a mystery until Sumdac made a comment on the being's design.

The human scientist was looking up at the image of the interloper, uploaded from Megatron's visual memory onto the large monitor of which Megatron was scrutinizing it. "That looks like a Marlin CT Unit."

Megatron swept his dark gaze to Sumdac, making the small man draw back in fear against his console. "Marlin C.T.s?"

"Y-yes. . . .Marlin is another company apart from Sumdac Systems. They mostly specialize in nursing robots with a more humanoid figure than my creations. They are popular in hospitals and nursing homes. . . ."

"Why do you believe that this being is from them?" Megatron lowered a few octaves, carrying a lightly veiled threat.

Sumdac felt his blood chilled from that dark silken tone and sputtered, "The design is so much like theirs. The long legs, the structure of the face, and the movements. The only thing it lacks is their logo on the thigh." He turned to his console and brought up images up an average CT nurse. It was a crème color instead of dark, and carried a more feminine look, however there were similarities between the models.

Megatron's optics narrowed in displeasure at this news. It was unnerving to think that humans could possibly create mechanoids that could rival Cybertronians. Though, this being was weak and full of glitchs, if it was one that thing shorter living civilizations have proven over and over again, is that their technology could improve and enhance . . .fast. Within a few decades, this being could have been a more formidable foe.

It only gave weight to his belief that the sooner this planet was conquered and the fleshlings destroyed, the better.

A thick forefinger tapped his throne's armrest in thought. Though, it would be quite useful to have a dispensable army on hand when set his plans in motion for Cybertron. Any army that obeyed every instruction with no fear, no doubt, and no betrayal in their sparkless shells.

This warrants further investigation.

* * *

Rachel sat in the back corner of the coffee shop taking a careful sip of hot chocolate. She never developed a taste for coffee or cappuccino, and she wasn't fond of tea either. It was the only drink they had that she would drink.

She glanced at the clock set in a frame shaped like a coffee mug with neon steam blinking at the top. The front door swung open, the bells at the top ringing. A recorded voice greeted her along with the smell of coffee and baked muffins..

Rachel waved to Sammi who noticed her and came over quickly. "You called me?"

"Yeah, we did. Have a seat."

"We?" Sammi was in the motion of taking a seat, when the bathroom door open and Amanda appeared. "Shit."

Rachel grasped Sammi's arm. "Wait, wait, please wait. Amanda is very sorry. . . ."

Sammi draw her arm out from Rachel's grasp and stood tall as Amanda approached. Both women stared at each other for almost a solid minute, before Amanda finally spoke. "I'm sorry, I lashed out at you."

"Don't be. Its true, I am a dyke." Sammi's voice was clipped and stiff.

"You know what I mean. I'm not a homophobe. . . .I was pissed, the bitch just about took my ear off. . . " She motioned at the swab of cotton taped against her ear. "And I can't press charges against her without my dad finding out and galloping to my rescue."

Sammi had her arms crossed, her purse hanging looking from her wrist. "And you know she would have used her blindness to bail her out of that mess and making you look the fool."

"Yeah."

They both fell silent. Then Sammi took a seat beside Rachel who exhaled a breath that she had been holding in relief. Amanda took a seat across from Sammi, but their body language was still tense and Rachel could feel the tension between them.

Amanda tucked her hair behind her ear. "So. . . how long have you been. . . ."

"Gay? Since highschool."

"Do your parents know. . . .?"

"They threw me out and I haven't spoken or seen them since."

Amanda swallowed and then got to the question she had been wanting to ask. "Don't get pissed or anything, but that time when we went shopping together and shared a dressing room . . . ."

"Look, I'm not attracted to you. Alright! I think you and Rachel are cute and fuckable, but I like you better as friends, though," she directed a hard gaze at Amanda. ",that may not be the case today."

Amanda glanced at Rachel who shrugged. Sammi switched her gaze between them, not certain of what was going on and not liking it one bit. "You two better get to the point of this meeting before I start heading out the door."

"How do you feel about Marlin?" Rachel blurted out and then her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment at the boldness of the question.

Sammi looked between them again, her ire on the rise. "Is this some joke?"

Amanda shook her head, her hair becoming dishevel. "Sammi, do you have a crush or some romantic inclinations toward our boss?"

Sammi stood, nearly tilting her chair over. "This conversation is so over."

Amanda waved a hand, motion for her to sit back down. "Sammi, I contacted Powell."

Sammi furrowed her brows as Amanda's words slowly took root. "What? You mean the new CEO of Sumdac Systems?"

"Yeah, he's willing to cut us a deal if we. . . hand him the Nightbird Project." Amanda replied

"We can't give him Nightbird, the project isn't ours to give." Sammi retook her seat, amazed at the development. What did this mean for them now?

"Yes, we can. Remember, it's our work. I designed the robot, you set up the brain wave relays, and Rachel piloted it. We never signed anything over to that bitch." Amanda leaned forward, bring her voice into a soft whisper. "The reason why she clocked me with her cane last night was because what I said was true. Nightbird is more ours than hers."

"Yeah, but to work for that Powell. . . . " Sammi grimaced. "He'll just steal Nightbird from under our noses."

Amanda shook her head. "No, he won't. I contacted one of my dad's lawyers. He's a pretty nice guy, but a bulldog when it comes to legal contracts. He acted as middle man between Powell and me last night and this morning. Powell is willing to keep us on as Sumda employees with a very slight decrease of pay if we provide him with all the information concerning Nightbird."

"Why does he want Nightbird?" Sammi hissed through her teeth, getting frustrated and impatient. "It was a huge failure."

"He said something about it looking promising once more work was done. Maybe he'll want us to redesign for none combat, whatever, it doesn't matter. We can continue to work on Nightbird the way it should have been worked on to begin with and no Marlin breathing down our necks and making our lives hell. Only downside is that our pay is reduced by 25 percent, but hell, I'm more than willing to give up half my check to not have to work with Marlin ever again. How do you guys feel?"

Rachel nodded, "I already told you over the phone how I felt. My head is still hurt from yesterday, but I can't go to a proper doctor because of a contract I stupidly signed with her."

Amanda looked at Sammi, her eyes locking with Sammi's. "Are you on board? We need you put this deal through and we want to be sure that you are not going to be running to Marlin to warn her. If you do, we'll deny it outright."

Sammi cast her eyes aside away from her co-workers. "I'm in."

"Why don't you look at us when you say that?" Amanda leaned forward, her eyes fiercely on Sammi's face. "You still have feelings for. . . ."

Sammi's hands slapped the top of the table and she propelled herself to a stand, knocking her chair back. "I do not have feelings for that witch! She used me! She fucking used me and then treated me like shit throughout the year."

"How about you tell us how sleeping with her happened?" Amanda glared at her.

"That's very private." Sammi's blue eyes narrowed at who once was her friend.

"What we've told you is very private. We have to trust you, Sammi. I want to know whether or not you are going to go running back to Marlin about this deal and that you haven't been spying on us for her throughout the year."

"I don't think you have . . ." Rachel, who had remained silent throughout this exchange, spoke up, trying ti diffuse the tension.

"Shut up, Rachel." Sammi snapped. She pulled her seat forward and sat down again. "She came to my college to deliver a lecture about robots in the medical field. She stayed behind for refreshments. I got into a conversation regarding the . One thing led to another and she invited me back to her hotel room and I ended up spending the night and I had a job that morning. So, yes, I DID sleep with her to get a job. I needed the job. My scholarship didn't cover room and board and I was barely making it day to day with my budget. This job saved me from having to live in my car and I'd do it again!"

Amanda studied her for a moment. "So . . its safe for me to contact Powell again?"

"Yeah, let's snatch the rug out from under blindy's ass."

* * *

"Okay, Sari, what do you think?" Bulkhead stepped back from the massive canvas, looking hopefully at her.

Sari tilted her head, her pigtails bobbing at the movement. "She looks like one of those aliens from tv?"

On the canvas was a rough sketch of a long thin figure with a large head. The mouth was small and the eyes were huge with a small slit for a nose.

Bulkhead looked at his art and quickly snatched it off the wall. "NO!!!! This isn't. . . isn't what I meant. . . .I mean, she does look like this but. . . different, ya know?"

"Bulkhead. . . ." Optimus who had been watching the proceedings with unease had to step forward and state his piece. "Remember what happened with the Construticons? You thought they were your friends and that ended . . . badly."

"She's different from those guys, Prime." Bulkhead insisted. "She did attack you, but she did it to save her friend. We just have to give her time to get to know us."

"But the problem with that is that we have no idea where she is or who she is. And her friend did attack me without just cause."

"But her friend saved those people on the bridge. Ratchet and I saw it ourselves."

Bulkhead turned and motioned to the red and white medicbot who was patching up a crack in Bumblebee's hull. The small yellow bot had been dirt racing against motorist and had gone off road into a deep ditch with several sharp rocks. Ratchet had to clear away the rock and dirt from the crack before he could begin patching it and that process had been long and hard with a squirming younger bot to contend with.

"Hold still, you little backwards knob!" Ratchet smacked Bumblebee on the head for the 15th time.

"Ow! You trying to put a crack in my head too?" Bumblebee rubbed his cranium, his blue optics glaring at the older bot.

"I'll crack your aft if you don't hold still, you little oil licking crank!"

"Ratchet, what is your opinion of these strangers?" Optimus interjected loudly before Bumblebee could retaliate with an insult of his own.

Ratchet took his attention away from Bumblebee for the moment, glanced at Bulkhead and said loudly, "I don't trust 'em. Somethin' about 'em is off. Especially that black one. What kind of mech is it that doesn't feel pain?"

"What makes you say that?"

"The mech had taken severe damage to the knee. Something like that should hurt enough you don't want to move it, but he was moving it around as if it was in one piece. And then took off on it. Something like that would have knocked any mech off his pedes in pain."

Optimus thought back to finding the torso in the woods. The mech still functioned after having its own body torn apart and the face was empty as if in deep through. He didn't even struggle or cry out when the white femme rough handled him when she carried him away.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all. It's bad enough that we have the Decepticons to contend with, we don't need a second threat also."

"Optimus, I'm sure that they're not bad guys. The dark one saved the bridge, remember?" Bulkhead flustered with a paintbrush that had been specially created for his large servos.

"Yes, but he attacked me without just cause. Until we are more clear on who they are and what their motives are, then we are to treat them with extreme caution. We'll start scanning the area for any traces of them tomorrow."

* * *

Sammi and Rachel opted to walk home together to the apartment complex of which they both rented apartments. They were silent for a long while, the other not sure why they hadn't called for a taxi or taken the bus for the twenty minute walk.

"Sammi, I'm sorry for the way Amanda has been treating you." Rachel broke the silence, deciding that deep down, they both wanted to talk.

"It's not your fault, Amanda wants to be difficult and a bitch, that's her problem." Sammi's tone was dry and empty. It hid the under lining hurt she felt in her heart.

"It still hurts me to see you two fight." Rachel fiddled with an earring, a nervous habit of hers. "I like it better when we got along, ya know?"

"Those new earrings?" Sammi was quick to change the subject. She rather not discuss this with Rachel, the peace loving orphan.

"Oh, yes! I found them on sale at a jewelery store. They were a bit out of my price range, but I couldn't resist." Her fingers stroked the dangling white crystals from her ears. "They just seem to glow all the time."

Indeed, the crystals did glow as if full of life.


	8. Motivation

"I've prepared your bath for you, Little Madame."

"I'll be there when I finish with the phone, Diamond."

The blind woman was lounging across a couch, her thin red velvet robe gaping open, nearly baring her breasts. The bottom part spread open, showing off shapely legs and narrow feet. She held an old fashion phone crafted out of synthetic ivory to her ear.

"I hold you responsible for this, Prometheus."

"How is it my fault? It was your project. Your business idea to offer it years before it was complete. Your impatient nature is you downfall in this. My research is infallible, the problem was on your end."

Marlin reached over and delicately plucked a glass of wine from the low table at her elbow. She look a short sip and replied, "You should have set yourself to kill Powell instead of Sumdac that time."

"Powell will get his soon enough."

"I prefer now."

"Your impatience is childish. You should retire, forget about your robots and enjoy your life."

"I do plan on retiring."

There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line. Marlin actually agreeing with him, especially on retiring?

"In fact, I have no choice but to retire. Stocks are down for Marlin, people are preferring care from actual humans than from C.T.s. They're expensive to build and people aren't willing to pay the price for a C.T when they can get a human nurse at a fraction of the price."

"I see that humans have finally realized how much superior human to human care can be to Robotic care."

"Fuck you." Marlin sat up, uncaring if her robe slipped off her small shoulders and bared her upper body. What was nudity to a woman who never saw it?

"I suggest you sell out to whomever will take your company."

"Like hell I will. I die before I loose this company to anyone."

"From the sound of it, it is already slipping from you."

"Then I better die pretty soon."

For a second time, Meltdown was silent on the other end. "Marlin. . . ."

"Have you changed you mind about euthanasia?"

Another silence. "No, I don't want to die, Marlin."

"Coward."

She hung up. She stood holding out a hand which Diamond took and led her to the bathroom.

The bathroom held a white and gold theme with marble sink and bathtub with while tiles. The tub was filled near to the brim with hot water and frothing bubbles scented with lavender. There were even rose petals scattered in the white forth.

Marlin let the rest of the robe pool at her ankles and Diamond guided her to step into the bath and lower into pearly white foam. Marlin closed her sightless eyes and enjoyed the heat creeping into her skin and warming her bones.

Diamond went to the sink and carried over a tray. "Ma'am, razor, gun, or sleeping pills?"

On the tray was a long old fashion razor, a small pistol, and a prescription labeled sleeping pills.

Marlin tilted her head back, getting her dark hair wet and bubbles clinging to her head. "Sleeping pills. I'll die in the oblivion that people always I am seeing. . . .and that I will one day go to."

"Very well, ma'am. Shall I bring you more wine?"

"Yes, but hurry. I want to die when the water is still hot."

"Yes, madame."

Marlin listened to Diamond's sharp steps changed to soft pats as she left he bathroom and return. She listened to the warble of the wing filling the glass. "I did everything I wanted to do. Took over for my father, after he died, created a new breed of robots. . .that no one can seem to afford, and I proved to the scientific community that you can blind and still be a scientist."

"You have accomplished much, Madame." Diamond offering a pull glass of wine with full bottle of pills.

"I am only sadden by Nightbird. Has the repairs been complete?"

"They will be complete within two hours."

"Why do I fix it?" Marlin pondered, holding out her hand. "Wine."

Diamond handed it to her. "Madame, does not like leaving things unfinished as has been my observation."

"No, I don't. I don't like leaving things empty or incomplete. Or my curiosity unsated, I was always curious about the Cybertronians. I always wanted to analyze their AI programs." She drained her wine glass, tossing her head back.

Perhaps it was the wine, perhaps it was her own despair turning into will, and her blood starting to rush in her veins. She set her glass aside on the edge of the tub and pulled herself to her feet. Thick bubbles rolled down her body and water drizzled down her legs. "Diamond, speed up repairs on the unit and prep yourself in your machine. I am going to crack open one of those bastards and finally find out what makes them think."

* * *

Bumblebee hated the forest. He much rather be in the city with the constant offers of entertainment. The forest was too quiet and held nothing of interest for him whatsoever. He had no clue what Prowl saw in it all.

He tucked his head under a low hanging branch wishing that Sari was here. She at least made things interesting, but Optimus had insisted that she stay behind until they discover what kind of threat the strangers posed.

The small yellow bot stepped down on a branch and heard something move behind him. He whipped around stingers flipping in place of his hands. He saw nothing, but he still felt the need to say, "Okay,, you glitches, you don't wanna mess with this bot!"

Silence.

"That's what I thought!" Bumblebee flipped his hands back into place.

He turned around and bumped into a white chest. His face slid up and up into a white face. He recognized her as the figure that had taken center stage as what Sari dubbed as Bulkhead's muse. He bounded back, stingers snapping into place. "You!? You better not try anything, I have stingers!"

"So do I." The white femme lifted a hand. Her palm split apart, caving in as a black prod drew forward. Her fingers folded back as the Hi-Powered Tazer sparked with blue waves.

"Oh. . . .oh yeah! Thing is, you haven't come up against the Bee!" He sent forth a long jet of sparks toward her.

The white femme leaned to the right and the jet of yellow sparks crackled past her audio. She didn't blink or show any sign of anxiety nearly getting head shot or the relief of dodging it. "I calculated a 75% of overtaking you. That shot raised it to 95%."

"Hey!" Bumblebee lunged forward swinging a sparkling stinger.

The white femme stepped to the side as he stumbled forward, unable to stop in mid-lunge. And then she delivered high voltage shock to his neck. Then his world plummeted into darkness.

* * *

It was 2:00 in the morning when Rachel was awakened by the phone ringing. She fumbled for it with one hand, mistaking it for the alarmed. As her sleeping mind slowly woke, she realized that it was the phone and grabbed for it. It took several tries, but she managed to take it up and bring it to her ear.

Before she could offer a sleep filled hello, an oh so familiar voice barked at her, "Rachel, put aside the teddy bear I know you sleep with and get your ass down the laboratory, now!

Rachel sat up, nearly making her self dizzy at the surge in movement. "Ms. Marlin, I. . . I can't wear the helmet again, I, my head still hurts. . . ."

"Why don't you want until I tell you want I need you for before you refused, idiot." The woman's snarl sounded more like the hiss of an angry cougar. "I need assistance with an experiment. . . . more like research, but I need assistance with it anyway. Get down here. I already contacted the rich bitch and the dyke."

The phone clicked in her ear as Marlin hung up.

Rachel glanced at the teddy bear that she had had snugged against her side under her arm. She tugged it onto her lap and stared at the warm plastic brown eyes. She had named it Tumkin. He was her favorite of her collection of dolls and stuff animals that were set the large window sill near her bed. They were her pride and her embarassment.

She carefully set him in the middle so she didn't disturb the others and got dressed.

She decided to wear her new crystal earrings. They were pretty and made her feel better wearing them. God knows, being around Marlin, she needed as much as a boost as she can get.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Autobots noticed the disappearance of Bumblebee and were quick to lock onto his energy signature.

Also, the Decepticons detected the energy signature of Allspark fragments.

Both factions headed toward one location. Outside the city within 20 miles of the city of Detroit, in an underground bunker owned by the weak Marlin Company.

* * *

The bunker had been Nightbird had been designed and built. And there had once been plans to turn it into a production sight for other Nightbird units. Against the walls were large metallic body parts that were set to be assembled into war machines.

It must have been a disturbing sight for poor Bumblebee when he came to.

Bumblebee's mouth was sealed shut by a powerful adhesive after Marlin found his prattle annoying. His wrists and ankles were welded to the floor while the white femme set a line of tools in a straight line at her side.

Up above, Marlin with her three assistances stood by with computers and monitors ready to download and record any and all information. Marlin stood at a special computer terminal which displayed information in a gel like panel that revealed information in braille.

"Good work, Diamond. Just follow my instructions accordingly." Marlin was wearing her headset again and the audio was sent directly to white femme's inner audio receptor.

"Yes, Madame." The white femme, Diamond, replied. She felt up a large saw and Bumblebee's blue optics widen in terror as the blade seemed to gleam at him.

Diamond's machine had been built at the same time as Nightbird had been constructed. It was setup as a backup or for clean as needed during field testing and also served as a sparring partner. The plus side of a robot controlling another robot was that Diamond didn't suffer the ill effects that Rachel suffered through and was able to control her machine longer, however, the military preferred to use human soldiers to control the robots themselves. Less chance of a virus or hacking to disrupt robots and cutting the military off at the knees.

"This is just wrong." Sammi murmured as she reluctantly login into her computer.

"Shut up, dyke, you weren't asked for your opinion." Marlin snapped as she opened up a program to read data taken from the Autobot's central system.

Sammi's cheeks blushed and her eyes harden as the cruel word struck her heart. She kept her eyes on her screen, swallowing back the angry response she wanted so much to shout.

Amanda who was assigned to security cameras of the area outside and within the bunker wasn't much happier about this than Sammi. "Kidnapping is ilegal."

"Correction, kidnapping humans is illegal. This will most likely go down as theft of property and whose property at that? The Sumdac brat's property? My lawyer will blow that case out of the water like a missile targeting a duck."

Rachel was focusing the monitor on Bumblebee and she got the first view of his terror filled optics and his fruitless struggles against the welding. "He's so scared. . . ."

"Can it, Fluffy, that ain't a teddy bear we're about to dissect." Marlin pulled up chair and sat down. Her finger tips stroked the gel panel with eagerness like starving fish waiting to be fed. "Secondly, he doesn't feel fear. His logistics is telling him to avoid damage at anyway possible, and that entails using body language to reach out to soft hearted fools."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Marlin." Rachel's face was red from the scolding and she hurried to her take her chair in monitoring the Autobot's stats.

"Yes, you are sorry."

Rachel inhaled sharply. She found that it helps hold back the tears.

Amanda was clenching her fists at the edge of the console that her nails were bitting into her palms. Marlin tapped the headset and ordered, "Alright, Diamond, begin."

Diamond's pure white hand reached for the saw.


	9. Death

Thanks so much for all the reviews! They are what keep me writing so keep them coming.

For those of you new to my writing, I llike nasty death scenes!

* * *

Twenty minutes into the procedure, Sammi's nerve broke. She stood from her computer and shook her head, "This doesn't feel right, I'm done. I'm out of here. Marlin, you'll get my resignation letter tomorrow. I had enough."

"Sit down, you dumb dyke, and get a back bone. This is no different than lifting the hood off a car engine. And if you don't like it, then by all means go out and go play in the park with Fluffy and maybe meet some Moms who are into that sort of thing." Marlin remained at her station, her fingers eagerly anticipating Diamond's exploratory results.

Sammi's face darkened to red. "Did anyone ever tell you that you are a very unpleasant person to work for?"

"And did anyone ever tell you that you are bad in bed, dyke?"

Sammi's face went from dark to pale within seconds. Her stunned silence rung in her ear and her mind was blank to create a proper retort, but she didn't need to.

"If you call her that again, I swear to God, I will get up and bash your fucking brains in with a hammer, you mean old bat."

The voice was hard and the hatred and the heavy handed threat hung in the hair causing the listeners to freeze. Marlins head was up, her ears prick and Sammi and Rachel turned their heads to the originator.

Amanda eyes were set on Marlin. They were hard as rocks and almost glowed with malice toward the blind woman. Something had broken inside Amanda and what had been shattered was her tolerance of Marlin.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You treat people like shit. Rachel, Sammi, and I. .. we've busted our asses for you all year yet you keep insulting us and demeaning us." Amanda stood, pushing her chair side, her eyes never leaving the back of her boss. "So what if Rachel likes to collect stuff animals? I think it's cute and endearing, and she's the only one out of a group of 50 that's able to withstand the brain relay helmet. So Sammi is gay. That doesn't matter, she's the best medical technician in this state. And who cares if I come from a rich family? My dad didn't pay for my tuition. I won the scholarship and my dad had no hand in it."

Amanda left her chair and stood deliberate steps toward Marlin. Sammi and Rachel watched, their breaths caught in their throats.

"I use to admire you. All three of us once looked up to you. Not only were you a woman cutting out a spot for herself in a man's world, but she was proving that you can be scientist despite being blind. I admired you, I was HONORED when you hired me. I thought I was going to learn so much from you. . . I learned nothing but how to dread coming here."

Amanda stood at Marlin's back glaring at her shoulders and hair. "You made me hate what I loved to do. I'm 25 years old, and I am taking medication for anxiety. But its over now. I contacted Powell."

Marlin's shoulders stiffen as a tension ran through her body.

If Amanda saw, she chose to ignore it. "We made a deal. Nightbird will be his by the end of this week. And before you start to saw its your project, I'll have you know that we built it. Not you, us. You never had us sign anything to bring it under the ownership of Marlin Industries. We can legally take the robot and sell it to whomever we want. And there is nothing you can. . . ."

"AMANDA!!!!"

Rachel's shriek came too late.

Marlin turned and fired three bullets into Amanda's stomach. Rachel screamed again as Amanda clutched her stomach fell. Her scream allowed Marlin to pinpoint her head and take aim.

Rachel reacted at the last second. She whipped her head to the side, in a blind attempt to flee from her chair. The bullet shattered her right crystal earring before entering her skull.

Sammi dashed for the side door that led to metal railway that lined the edge of the factory. She shove the open, the force of her exit shattering the glass window and making the knob smack against the metal wall.

A dent popped into the metal where Sammi's head was along with a few strands of her singed hair as a bullet jetted to where her head had been.

Sammi's shoes slammed across the railing floor as her hands fumbled for her cell phone at her waistband. She yanked it free and flipped it open.

_She was blind. She can't shoot and hit her. She just had to keep moving._

Sammi's thumb pressed the 9 and before she could lift it to hit 1 twice, there was a whistle as the air was sliced before her and the cellphone fell away. . . .long with her hand to the elbow.

Her severed limb fell onto the floor with a wet smack and her fingers twitched as the cell phone was release to rattle on the metal. She stepped back, and the blood splattered across her shoes. It didn't hurt, at least not in the first several seconds. Her mind had to comprehend what had happen before it would allow the pain to erupt. And it did.

Sammi's scream almost overruled the screech as a second shuriken was thrown. It ripped into the railing barely a foot from Sammi's toes and the railing whined as metal gave way. The floor fell away from Sammi's feet and she plummeted.

Her scream ended with a crunch when her body hit the floor 20 feet below. The body was almost eagle spread like a discarded doll.

Diamond who had twisted at the waist in a kneeling position at the offline Autobot. Her arms were stained to the elbow in pink and her optics betrayed no emotion of her murder.

Inside the observation deck, Marlin's lips stretched in a wide grin. "Good work, Diamond. Continue."

Marlin turned back, slipping the gun back into the deep pocket of her lap coat. Her feet scooted, scattering the shards of the crystal earrings that Rachel had been so proud of. The toe of her black shot bumped and then kicked aside Rachel's still bleeding skull.

Amanda was curled on her side around her stomach wound. The bullets had pierced her gut, releasing the acidic fluids within to burn her organs within. She never thought that anyone could feel such pain. Her vision was blurring and she was finding it hard to breath.

Marlin's shoes came into her field of vision. She reached out in a plea for help. Her hand wrapped around Marlin's ankle and with a cry of shock, Marlin lost her step. A foot came down on a broken shard and then slip.

The blind woman fell forward, her head connecting with the edge of the panel that held her Braille Gel panel. Her skull cracked beneath her scalp, slivers of bone pushed into her brain. She was dead before she hit the floor.

Rachel stared at the fallen woman of whom she had killed. She had always imagined killing, even fantasized about it when Marlin was at her worst. She was going to follow her into death. Amanda knew it. Rachel was dead and no doubt Sammi was dead as well outside.

She didn't want to die, but what way was there around it? No one knew they were there and she had left her cellphone in her car.

She was barely getting air in her lungs and the pain was fading. She closed her eyes.

Amanda died.

Diamond halted her work. The Autobot's chest plate was peeled off half way revealing what looked to be an inner chamber with a glowing orb within. This glowing orb would have fascinated Marlin if she was still alive.

Diamond turned her head to the observation deck awaiting orders that would never come. Her purpose was gone, thus she had no purpose. She had been built to care for and protect Marlin since she was a toddler. Marlin was dead, no one to care for or serve.

Her function had come to an end.

Diamond deactivated herself. Her body powered down and she fell onto her side, like a doll that had lost balance on a shelf.

* * *

The Autobots were the first to arrive.

It took them a short while to detecting the entry way used by Nightbird and Diamond. When they entered the arena like open space, they were shocked by the body parts lining the walls that had terrified Bumblebee.

"By the Spark of Primus. . . ." Ratchet swore under his breath as he began scanning Bumblebee. "Spark pulse is weark, but he's hanging in there. Thank the Allspark that there is no internal damage."

Prowl knelt beside the lifeless body of Diamond. He scanned her vitals and shook his head. "It's fortunate that Bulkhead remained at the base. This would . . . upset him."

"I'm afraid that we'll have to take her back with us. We can't leave her here, nor the stranger there too." He pointed at repaired, yet void of life stranger who had attacked Optimus days ago. "We can't leave them here."

"We got to get Bumblebee out of here. I can keep him stabilize for the trip, but be best to radio ahead and have Sari waiting with her Key." Ratchet transformed, and his back doors flipping open and his magnetic power lifted Bumblebee into the back as he had done once long ago for a pink femme.

Prowl scooped the white femme up against his chassis while Optimus approached the propped interloper. Before he could step close enough to notice Sammi's splattered remains,the bunker groaned as an explosion thundered above them.

The metal ceiling whined bringing promise of a crushing death if they lingered much longer. Optimus made a quick decision that was safest for his team. "Leave the bodies. We have to get out of here, we'll come back later!"

The Autobots left with their friend and headed to the surface to head way their enemies. Leaving behind the bodies. Ten minutes later, the arena caved in, burying them in a tomb of rock and steel.

* * *

The bunker was a football size disturbance of rock and rubble. The trees were scarred from laser blasts and fire. Branches were twisted or broken off in a struggle of giant metal bodies.

The soil was fresh as the soil of a grave that had just been filled. Silence reigned as an unvisited grave site, only the soft breath of the wind teasing the grass and leaves.

The center of the collapsed bunker dipped, sand rolling into a small hole which was growing. A black metal hand reached up from the rubble and gained purchase at the edge. The hand was followed by an arm and then by a head. A second hand and arm was thrusted from the debris and sought ground.

Head and shoulders followed up by a slim torso and narrow hips. Long legs slipped from the grave or womb would say in this case.

The figure was androgynous, with broad shoulder plating with a flat chest and a slim waist and hips. The figure could easily be compared to a boy late growing into manhood. It was Nightbird, but very different from before.

The face was no longer blank, devoid of emotion or thought. The lips were fuller, pouty with a high cheek structures along with a sharp nose. The optics were black, empty, and sightless.

Dark hands touched the face, finger tips pact with sensitive sensory detectors informed the brain that the face was of metal and that it was hers.

Hers. The body made not be totally a females, but the brain was that of a woman.

Finger tips combed along the helm, not touching thick tresses.

The other hand roamed down the chest and stomach, finding neither breasts or clothes for that matter.

The robot took an unsteady step and then another. An immaculate webbing of her sensory net told her where each bit of rock and slivers of steel were on the ground. She stepped and avoid each sharp jut better than a seeing being could. Her sensory net would have astounded the scientists of Cybertron of its complexity and exact data reception.

The robot tilted her head back and sightless optics saw nothing. She was simply enjoyed the sensory of the heat from the beaming sun above. It sent a thaw through her stumbling processor and brought her line of thought along smoothly.

"This is most interesting." Marlin whispered with her new vocaliser.


	10. Rebirth part 1

Splitting this chapter up into 2 parts. Because I'm getting my laptop back today and I rather not have an unfinished chapter on my parents computer. So frankly, I will be busy installing and getting my old programs back on my computer. And this is a big job.

Please keep reviewing, they are what keep my Muse fed.

* * *

**Rebirth**

Her feet treaded through the honking cars and agitated pedestrians. This was the first time she had walked in an unfamiliar setting without the aid of a cane or Diamond. Her sensory net told her exactly where each car, human, and city robots were. She even knew when a small litter was blown past her ankles in the breeze.

Was this seeing?

No, this was something more. Sight was described to her as being able to see color, something she had never beheld in her life. There was nothing different, the absence of sight was still apparent, but she was so much more aware of her surrounds than anything else.

She pondered over this new phenomena that had happened to her. She still had the memories of the human woman named Marlin. She remembered riding a horse at a ranch for the blind as a little girl, her time in college with Prometheus Black, and creating this body she now inhabited.

Was she Marlin?

Or were her memories inscribed into her electronic brain?

Was the real Marlin burning in the hell everyone had told her she would go to on her death? Or had it been carried over into this shell?

That would be easy to accept if Marlin believed in souls.

The case was simple for her to understand. She had become a program that emulated the real Marlin's brain patterns and personality. Her thoughts, emotions, and even her beliefs were inscribed into her circuits by 1's and 0's. How this occurred, she didn't know and was unable to fathomed, but it was the only thing that made sense to her.

Then if she was just merely a program, then what was her function?

This thought made her pause and think, nearly sending a yellow car veering off road and crashing into a fire hydrant. Water gushed up in a cold spray, creating small rainbows against he pavement. A cry rose up over the gurgle of water, "This is why I hate machines!"

She was an AI, of that she was sure. I think therefore I am? She acknowledged her own existence. . . .so did that make her an individual?

"Hey, ma'am. . .mister. . . .uh. . . .robot standing in the street!" Fanzone, who had been the unfortunate that had veered his car off the road to avoid colliding into the back of her leg. "I'm gonna hafta ask you to move out of the street so cars can past."

Her optic ridges slanted in frustration and she snapped her fingers at the voice at her feet for silence. "I was deep in thought just, concerning of something far more important than your petty whining, so I will ask you to shut up and go about your life before I choose to end it."

There was a short silence. "Are you threatening me?" Fanzone's voice took on a thick tone and his hand moved to his gun in the holster. "You do know that threatening is a criminal offense."

Marlin put her hand on her hip and jutted it to the side. "Oh please, what are you going to do? Get an extra large pair of handcuffs and strap me to the back of four police cars and cart me off to jail which I will simply kick my way out of within minutes resulting in thousands of dollars of damage to a government facility which the tax payers will have to pay for in the end? I'm bored now, I'll leave you here to contemplate the futility of your job, you low income ticket writer."

Fanzone was gnashing his teeth as he watched the robot depart. "I. Hate. Machines."

* * *

Marlin sat cross legged atop of a small gas station, much to the displeasure of the manager and employees. Several police-bots appear circling the building, their lights flashing red and blue and repeatedly requested that she stand down.

Marlin ignored them and twirled a stop sign between a thumb and forefinger in deep thought. The story of the man and the butterfly came to mind. A man dreamed he was a butterfly and awoke not knowing whether he had been a man dreaming he was a butterfly or the butterfly dreaming he was a man.

So in her case was she a robot remembering a dream of being a woman or was she a woman not dreaming of being a robot. It was logical. All her life she had been around robots and had ben very occupied building Nightbird.

Okay, if this was her reality and the over life of being Marlin never existed, then there would be traces of Marlin Enterprises now.

No, that wouldn't convince her. It could be that there had actually been a Marlin company that built this shell. No, she would have to find Marlin herself. The other Marlin if this life was the reality.

Then brought up another confusing thought. What if both realities are real? What if the mind had been transported into this shell?

So she would be a robot with a real mind, but hat is impossible. A human mind cannot live within a robot shell.

"Uh, excuse me?"

The voice came from a synthetic voice box. She lifted her chin and halted in twirling the stop sign. "Hmm?"

Bulkhead was the first on scene of the interloper.

* * *

He had taken the news hard of Bumblebee's condition and the white femme's apparent demise. It hurt him to think that this beautiful white ghost could have done such a thing to his best friend and that she had gone offline before he even had a chance to know her.

All he had was those few precious seconds with her in the forests. That in itself seemed to be both a blessing and a curse.

He wanted to hate her or at least be angry that she had hurt his friend, but yet he felt nothing, but disappointment and sadness about it all. He wanted to understand why she did such a thing and what her motivations were.

He spent he better part of the day checking on a whining Bumblebee who kept undergoing examinations by Ratchet.

"Hey, watch it! That hurts!" Bumblebee had whined as he wiggled on the exam table in Ratchet's constructed med bay.

"Hold still and it won't hurt!" Ratchet jabbed a long rod with a scanner along the edges of Bumblebee's chest plate.

"Why are you doing that? Sari's Key fixed the damage!" Bumblebee wrenched away from the rod and it resulted in a swat by Ratchet.

"I need to make sure that there has been harm done to your spark and the containment unit for it." Ratchet performed a quick scan. "We can't rely on the Key to fix everything and not doing a follow up exam could cost you your spark."

Bumblebee turned his attentions to Bulkhead whose rotund frame was sagging nearly, his face reflecting sorrow. "Hey, big guy, I'm fine. Not even a scratch once Sari used her Key."

"Yeah." Bulkhead blew exhaust in a long sigh.

"And you're not thinking about me, are ya?" Bumblebee's large blue optics rolled in Cybertronian fashion, the sensor points sliding across the top of the optic. "I hate to tell ya this, but she offlined after opening me up. Please don't tell me that you would plugged into her after she hacked up your buddy!"

Bulkhead's face flashed crimson as his derma-plating heated beneath the surface. "Bee! Don't talk like that!"

Ratchet smacked Bumblebee atop of his head. "I ought to wash your vocalizer with Windex!"

* * *

In the present. . . .

Marlin's sensory net was spread not just around and above her, but also below her. It told her of the great weight that the ground was holding up, she detected gravel crunching and the soil shift beneath the pavement as the owner of the voice move his weight.

"Yeah?" She had pushed her sensory net wider and it brushed against a very thick metal hide which was as thick as her shell's forearm with several inches to spare.

"We thought you were offline." The voice was deep, yet held a light tone that the young usually held.

"I'm online now." She scooted to the edge of the building and set her feet down. This being wasn't as small nor weak as the police officer from earlier. Marlin may be a nasty bitch, but she wasn't stupid and she knew when she was outclassed in physical prowess.

"What about. . . your friend?"

"My friend?" Marlin was really taken off guard by this inquiry.

"The. . . white one."

It took Marlin a mere moment to realize of whom he was talking about. "Diamond? You are talking about Diamond?"

"Diamond. . . .her name was Diamond."

Marlin raised her optics at surprise at how gentle his voice came to be while speaking Diamond's name. Was that truly tenderness? Was this affection in a robot's voice that she was hearing? He must have heard the tone of voice used before and was merely mimicking it.

"Is she still. . . functioning?"

"I don't know." Marlin spoke truthfully getting to her feet. She halted as a thought occurred to her. If this happened to her, whose to say it wouldn't or hadn't have happened to the others? She should go back and see, but later. She wanted to explore first.

"Hey, we still have some questions!" The large robot blurted after hr as she stepped around the gas station.

"I already answered your questions." She replied without a pause in her step.

"Come back here!"

The ground vibrated beneath her pedes as he approached her. Marlin wasn't in the mood and an impulse took over. She bent her legs and jumped. She was propelled upward where she easily caught he edge of the building and hauled herself up.

Then with her sensory net in full flair, she was dashing forward, knowing moments before she would reach the ledge to propel herself forward. The net told her how far away her goal was on each bound and her processor informed her of how much strength should be used on each jump.

Bulkhead didn't have any prayer in following her.

* * *

Optimus wasn't happy when Bulkhead reported in. In fact, he was irritated and was loosing his patience with the whole situation. "And you just let her go?"

Bulkhead waved his large servos flustered and embarrassed. "She was. . . jumping those buildings like one of those. .. . green things on those green things in a pond."

"You mean a frog on lily pads?" Prowl offered who had accompanied Optimus on the patrol.

"Yeah, that!" Bulkhead looked graciously at the ninjabot.

"We can't have them coming and going as they want, at least until we know why they are here on Earth." Optimus crossed his arms. "Why did they kidnap Bumblebee and cut him open like that? Why is that the one that we saw as dead is back alive and is actually speaking this time? What is going on?"

"Have we not considered the possibility that hey are from Earth?" Prowl offered.

"What?" Optimus turned to Prowl the thought never occurring to him, but he had objections. "They aren't Cybertronian. I know that the Allspark and the Key did create Cybertronians on Earth, but the strangers we've seen are not like us."

"True, but whose to say that the AllSpark creates only Cybertronians. It is Life itself and why can it not create a new race of machines?" Prowl glanced up at the distant forest which seemed to call to him from the edge of the city.

"But that factory, where we rescued Bumblebee, those parts. It was created by humans. Sari said that the images of the stranger and of Bulkhead's white femme made her think of Marlin C.T. Units. Could it be that humans created a large version of one and the Allspark stepped in?"

Prowl turned his head, the revelation dawning on him as well. "It very well could have happen. The Allspark and the Key brought the Dinobots and Soundwave to life. It could be that we are dealing with a confused and lost individual who needs out help."

"I don't think that is it, guys." Bulkhead glanced to the side. "I'm not saying that the Allspark didn't have anything to do with it. Most likely it had, but there was something different about this bot. Different from the others who just been sparked."

"What do you mean, Bulkhead." Optimus turned to his large comrade.

"I don't know. Hard to say. Those bots, were . . . .new, ya know. They didn't know anything and well this bot was. . . . .was. . . .not new. I don't know if I'm sayin' it right. She was smart, and. . . .seemed to. . . .awww, forget it, I don't know what I'm sayin'." Bulkhead gave up with a wave of his servos.

"I think I understand, though I never met the person myself, you mean experience." Prowl revealed.

Bulkhead looked graciously at his smaller friend and nodded, "Yeah! That's it. Like she's been around before and hadn't just been sparked."

"My circuits are burning out trying to figure this out." Optimus shook his head. "The best way to get to the bottom of this is to find her and demand that she answers our questions. Prowl, from the description of her speed, you might be the one most likely to catch up to her. I hate to ask this of you, but I want you to go it alone, but keep your radio open. The others and I will patrol the streets and Fanzone will keep us informed if she's seen again. I want you there on the double if she is sighted again."

* * *

She could hear the digging before she was within a quarter of a mile to what was once the bunker. She quicken her step and found that she knew how to move without making much nose. Her wonderful sensory net kept her informed of any branches or dried brushes that would crunch or snap beneath her pedes.

Her audio receptors informed her that it was two heavy machines that were digging in the disturb grave of which she had risen from.

"Hey! We're Constructicons, not Diggercons!"

She listened to the whine of metal unfolding and gyros slipping into place. There was two of them and they were big and heavy, and what frightened her is that they were even bigger than the one from before.


End file.
